Full list of Satanic Sins and my additions/edits
The Nine Fifteen Satanic Sins
by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1987
With additions/edits by Alexander Antonin ©2012 and ©2015 (in italics)
1. Stupidity-The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.
2. Pretentiousness-Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.
3. Solipsism Projection-Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.
4. Self-deceit-It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!
5. Herd Conformity-That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.
6. Lack of Perspective-Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints-know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.
7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies-Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.
8. Counterproductive Pride-That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.
9. Lack of Aesthetics-This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing-it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.
10. Solipsism-The real world DOES exist. Granted, a large portion of the perceived world is invented by your brain, but that’s based on data from the real world. Anyone who thinks they’re the only person in the world, and that they create 100% of reality, is a delusional fool.
11. Ignorance of ignorance - It can be very dangerous to not be mindful of the ignorance of other people, especially children. This is related to “solipsism” and “projection,” but is different because not only might you be projecting your own abilities and knowledge onto someone who is differently abled and not as knowledgeable as you, but refusal to acknowledge your ignorance of someone’s ignorance can easily become stupidity. And trying to raise children while constantly expecting them to be as able and knowledgeable as you are is not only stupidity, but is often cruelty.
12. Neuotypical-centrism - Never assume that someone can do something you can just because “everyone” can. The brain is a self-programming computer prone to programming errors and hardware defects, neither of which can be fixed at this point in time. The mind is a function of the meat, and if something is wrong with the meat, something will be wrong with the mind. Mental disabilities are far more difficult to work around than physical ones. Have patience and compassion with people different from you, but also don’t treat them like idiot children, either.
13. Over-Lording/Cult-Leading - This is what I’m calling the opposite of herd conformity; it’s when you bring people in with your charisma and - either intentionally or not - start manipulating them into becoming your own little herd of sheep, with you as their shepherd.
14. Pointless Judgmentalism - Hating someone simply because they have a different belief or preference than you, on something inconsequential, is pointless and wasteful judgmentalism. What difference does it make what someone chooses to eat or not to eat?(1) What difference does it make if someone believes in God or not, as long as they aren’t forcing their beliefs on you or acting like a complete jackass to you about it? Why do you care that someone likes to take a cock up the arse, as long as they aren’t forcing you to watch or participate in something inappropriate? As the Wiccans say, “An ye harm none, do what ye will.”
15. Modeltheism - When you hold on so tightly to your beliefs, or to your model of the way the world works or should work, that you take on a mentality that all must convert to your way of thinking or else be killed or treated like the scum of the earth, that’s modeltheism. Anyone can fall victim to this parasitic notion, from hard-core Christians to atheists to Satanists, and can be applied to political stances or even taste preferences (LOTS of modeltheists in the music fandom). And because modeltheism tends to make its hosts close-minded, arrogant, and often times make them fall victim to the sin of stupidity, it is a sin to be very wary of indeed.
1 = Yes, I go off on certain kinds of people a lot, such as vegans, but my beef is not with vegans in general, rather with the 14th sin, Modeltheism. My ire in such cases is always directed at modeltheistic vegans/others.
This was cross-posted from http://alex-antonin.dreamwidth.org/279796.html
You can comment either here or there.
by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1987
With additions/edits by Alexander Antonin ©2012 and ©2015 (in italics)
1. Stupidity-The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.
2. Pretentiousness-Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.
3. Solipsism Projection-Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.
4. Self-deceit-It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!
5. Herd Conformity-That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.
6. Lack of Perspective-Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints-know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.
7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies-Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.
8. Counterproductive Pride-That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.
9. Lack of Aesthetics-This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing-it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.
10. Solipsism-The real world DOES exist. Granted, a large portion of the perceived world is invented by your brain, but that’s based on data from the real world. Anyone who thinks they’re the only person in the world, and that they create 100% of reality, is a delusional fool.
11. Ignorance of ignorance - It can be very dangerous to not be mindful of the ignorance of other people, especially children. This is related to “solipsism” and “projection,” but is different because not only might you be projecting your own abilities and knowledge onto someone who is differently abled and not as knowledgeable as you, but refusal to acknowledge your ignorance of someone’s ignorance can easily become stupidity. And trying to raise children while constantly expecting them to be as able and knowledgeable as you are is not only stupidity, but is often cruelty.
12. Neuotypical-centrism - Never assume that someone can do something you can just because “everyone” can. The brain is a self-programming computer prone to programming errors and hardware defects, neither of which can be fixed at this point in time. The mind is a function of the meat, and if something is wrong with the meat, something will be wrong with the mind. Mental disabilities are far more difficult to work around than physical ones. Have patience and compassion with people different from you, but also don’t treat them like idiot children, either.
13. Over-Lording/Cult-Leading - This is what I’m calling the opposite of herd conformity; it’s when you bring people in with your charisma and - either intentionally or not - start manipulating them into becoming your own little herd of sheep, with you as their shepherd.
14. Pointless Judgmentalism - Hating someone simply because they have a different belief or preference than you, on something inconsequential, is pointless and wasteful judgmentalism. What difference does it make what someone chooses to eat or not to eat?(1) What difference does it make if someone believes in God or not, as long as they aren’t forcing their beliefs on you or acting like a complete jackass to you about it? Why do you care that someone likes to take a cock up the arse, as long as they aren’t forcing you to watch or participate in something inappropriate? As the Wiccans say, “An ye harm none, do what ye will.”
15. Modeltheism - When you hold on so tightly to your beliefs, or to your model of the way the world works or should work, that you take on a mentality that all must convert to your way of thinking or else be killed or treated like the scum of the earth, that’s modeltheism. Anyone can fall victim to this parasitic notion, from hard-core Christians to atheists to Satanists, and can be applied to political stances or even taste preferences (LOTS of modeltheists in the music fandom). And because modeltheism tends to make its hosts close-minded, arrogant, and often times make them fall victim to the sin of stupidity, it is a sin to be very wary of indeed.
1 = Yes, I go off on certain kinds of people a lot, such as vegans, but my beef is not with vegans in general, rather with the 14th sin, Modeltheism. My ire in such cases is always directed at modeltheistic vegans/others.
This was cross-posted from http://alex-antonin.dreamwidth.org/279796.html
You can comment either here or there.