When Good Intentions Come Knocking with Fists Raised

Tarot Advice You Need to Hear Right Now

In Goethe’s philosophical masterpiece Faust, the infernal Mephistopheles utters the immortal line: “I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good.” Today, we are going to talk about a different kind of power, one that lives in many people and operates in exactly the opposite way: it eternally wills good, yet somehow manages to inflict it on others. And it does so with complete sincerity, a passionate heart, and an unshakable conviction that the person being rescued will one day appreciate the sheer magnitude of the effort involved and thank their savior with tears of joy.

What could possibly be wrong with a selfless desire to help a loved one, ease their suffering, or guide them onto the right path? Well, as it turns out, there can be quite a distance between our ideas of what would make someone else happy and what that person actually wants for themselves. And some do-gooders prefer to bridge that gap not through peaceful negotiations but through a full-scale offensive, often leaving the recipients of their good deeds completely dumbfounded. So let us figure out why help offered with the best intentions can sometimes do more harm than good, how it gradually turns into control, and what to do if you suddenly recognize yourself in the role of the rescuer or…