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As we showed you a few months back, the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) alignments are making it to real life. So this time, let's take a closer look at a particularly funny one.

It's called chaotic neutral (and it even has its own subreddit). To put it simply, the term describes an individual who has no good or evil intentions, they simply do what they please, what they think is the best option at the moment.

The spontaneous nature of their actions means they can result in chaos and unpredictability but who can blame them if nobody gets hurt? After all, freedom is what matters!

#1

Thanks, I Hate Nouns That Are Adjectives

Thanks, I Hate Nouns That Are Adjectives

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When a player creates a character in D&D, they decide where to put that character on a moral axis. Are they good? Evil? Or morally neutral? Then they have to choose where their character fits on a law-abiding axis. Do they always obey the rules? Or do they believe that laws are meant to be broken? 

The best way to wrap your head around this concept is to imagine a grid, like "Hollywood Squares" or the opening credits of "The Brady Bunch" — nine squares in total, three on each side and one in the middle. The square in the upper left hand corner is "lawful good." That's Superman — the Boy Scout who cares about saving the planet. The next square over on the top row is "neutral good." For example, take "Star Trek". Captain Kirk is neutral good, because he is willing to break the rules if he thinks they're preventing him from doing as much good as possible. Now if we go to the last square on the right — "chaotic good" — we get someone like Robin Hood, who can never be tied down to any organization. These folks think the only way to do good in the world is to upend the social order.

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#3

Prolly Why I'm Not Allowed To Have Any

Prolly Why I'm Not Allowed To Have Any

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wendillon avatar
Monday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd be using my telekinesis to shoplift and water breathing abilities to find a cool place to sleep in the summer.

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existn't
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

id use telekinesis to make people gimme free food and water breathing to breath while drinking soda

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Daria B
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just want teletransportation so I can save up on travelling tickets, public transport and postal services, and to not needing carrying all the luggage while travelling. I don't even need to do this illegally, I'll show up to the border with my passport, and, as soon as I get the stamp, I move to wherever I'm up to in the target country.

howdylee avatar
howdylee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me too! BAMF to work without the commute, BAMF to the beach at lunch, BAMF to Paris for supper... would be glorious! Although flying like Rogue would be pretty cool too, would also save travel time!

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Marcellus II
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's the same mistaken assumption as that all sociopaths are amoral and evil. The vast majority are functioning in our society, and are very law-abiding... actually very insistent on making others abide by all rules, written or unwritten.

heathert avatar
Heather T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very true, this even runs in my family. A couple generations back, the legendary scammer PT Barnum's sister married a preacher (~1890s+) who even seems "woke" now (pro-feminism, pro-racial equality, etc). Lemme tell ya, that is an interesting combination of family traits. We don't scam, we try to be very helpful & community minded, but omg we talk about cons we could pull NON STOP and we can talk our way out any trouble lol... It takes real effort to be good, but the preacher made sure we had an ethical foundation lol..

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klynch4 avatar
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just want shape-shifting for a day so I can live the life of my pampered, spoiled, chonk of cat.

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Jackie Nettleton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would use telekinesis to do anything that would make my life easier, like sitting on the sofa and realise the remote is out of reach and not having to get up. Laziness is a great motivation for getting things done

noneanon avatar
Random Anon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Power of flight would be nice. I would just zip around for fun and giggles when I'm bored.

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Spikey boi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd use X ray vision to see through lottery tickets to see if they win before I buy them. Though if I had x ray vision, I'd want the ability to turn it in and off, looking at another human being with it on would be akward.

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Just saying
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would use telekinesis to budge up cars parallel parked with too much space between them, but not enough space for another car to park, so that other cars could park.

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MarmotArchivist
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would use my teleportation powers to eliminate long commute times. And I would help my close friends and family to move apartments and take them on surprise trips to beautiful remote locations.

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wouldn't want to be a hero or villain. Villain for obvious reasons, too much hate in the world as it is. But I couldn't be a hero coz the pressure would be too much. I wouldn't want everyone knowing I had powers. Would use it to benefit others without being obvious and when I choose.

brendanmccarthy_1 avatar
Trophy Husband
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think if you have those powers and someone nearby needs help and you do nothing, you're a villain. But if you never see someone who needs your help, you probably aren't obligated to go seek them out.

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Sasha
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If i could breathe underwater i would live underwater and never surface because that way id never have to talk to anyone again. They make waterproof phones now, so im ok with just internet, but no phonecalls ever again

yupan avatar
Yu Pan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I will use my ability to stop time to sleep in everyday. Or to take naps anytime I want to. Or to get more time to study. Seriously, I've been wanting this power ever since I was little.

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Zoe's Mom
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Invisibility so I can walk my dog at night. Since she's black, many won't see her but only her leash and collar.

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Marcellus Owens
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the ability to make any room i go into completely silent is a power ive been pondering for a while now it would be good for intimidation.

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Stuart Irvin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

id use my telekinesis to fly around, and my water breathing to plunder the fifijillions of dollars worth in gold and stuff thats resting on shipwrecks.

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Fikri Fikri
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what to they say again? with great power come great...... trolling

katrina_2 avatar
Turtle42
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be honest I just want the ability to shrink or grow so that I can shrink small enough to use my bathtub toys as boats and set sail across the "lake"

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Bacony Cakes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd teleport all the EA executives into that big flaming pit in Asia.

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Autumn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’d literally just want to shapeshift and fly and climb and stuff

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Peter Trudell Jr
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah yes, if I had the power of a god, I'd actually listen to my worshippers and sometimes answer their prayers... Just pop over and say 'Hey', freak 'em out... give them something and pop back away...

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Frostfirefox919
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd use mine to beat videogames and water breathing to get to places

heathert avatar
Heather T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a kid I fantasized about telekinesis for playing basketball (I was very, very bad but love basketball), and to morph into the Queen Bee long enough to steal all her Esprit clothes... My career goals were world-saving types, but my superpowers were going to be purely a criminalish hobby for only my own gain. I think I might be a good sociopath lol ...I have a few dark traits lol ...

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Autumn Artemis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"dOn'T uSe pOWerS foR PErSONaL gAIN" excuse you these are my PERSONAL powers and I will use them how I dang please.

micah_2 avatar
Micah
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought I was the only one. I'll be at work and think "I wish I had telekinesis to move this object" as if my life wouldn't change more drastically by the introduction of a superpower.

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Taryn Bailey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. Exactly. Water breathing to get some good ocean sounds while trying to sleep. (And also to screw with people as the post said. I would have WAY the heck too much fun with it) Telekinesis or flight to cut down on commuting and travel time, and to get to other parts of the world/country to get more sunshine when seasonal affective disorder starts kicking my butt. Animal speak to open a pet training business. Shape shifting, yeah, I would spend a lot of time in a sunbeam as a cat, but to be honest, would use it to mess with people a LOT.

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Tobias Reaper
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i would get healing powers like wolverine and play pranks on people

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GoddessOdd
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I want the ability to freeze time and be the only thing still moving around. I don't know if that is manipulating time, or if my superpower is supersonic speed, but I would use my superpower to go kick Putin's ass. I would disable all the russian tanks, and take all their weapons. I think Ima need some help.

dk_5 avatar
D K
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My chores would be done with a snap of my fingers. Isn’t there a tv show about something like that? I can’t remember what it was called.

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Klaatu Verrata (Cough)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so Kohlberg Stage 6...or...maybe Stage 1. Probably Stage 1.

fracarr avatar
François Carré
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That was basically the idea of that 2012 movie, Chronicle. Turned out pretty bad in the end for the kids with superpowers though.

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In the middle row, we have morally neutral characters. "Lawful neutral" would be a mindless bureaucrat or a brutal enforcer like Javert from "Les Miserables" who hunts down the heroic ex-con Jean Valjean. "True neutral," in the center square, is a character like the Oracle in "The Matrix," who accumulates wisdom from witnessing everything but rarely chooses a side. The far-right square in the middle row is a really fun character. The star of our show, "chaotic neutral."

According to writer and graphic novelist Sam Sattin, that's someone who can be swayed based on who has the power. A good example could be Omar from "The Wire", the lone wolf who robs drug dealers, valuing his freedom and his survival equally.

#7

7 Year Olds Just Be Like That

7 Year Olds Just Be Like That

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When Sattin holds writing seminars, he asks his students to figure out where their characters fit on this grid, and he encourages them to create characters who are conflicted. (They wish they belonged to one alignment, but they're something else.)

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The writer believes that storytelling takes off when characters of different alignments play off each other. "The most important part of writing is the way in which characters interact with each other," he explained.

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#9

Thought This Belonged Here

Thought This Belonged Here

Monday93420 Report

As we can see, these alignments appear in the real world as well. Patrick O'Connor, a sci-fi and fantasy fan as well as an assistant district attorney who prosecutes gang-related homicides in Brooklyn, imagines the gang members he prosecutes could be categorized as neutral evil on the character alignment spectrum.

In his own life, O'Connor always tries to follow the straight and narrow path. But that doesn't mean he’s drawn to lawful good characters in comic books. That's just boring!

His favorite character is Punisher, the Marvel vigilante who kills criminals because he doesn’t believe in the legal system.

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#12

Language Is Hard

Language Is Hard

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Daria B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Slightly off topic. Reminds me of my linguistics classes. I'd often be the only European (everyone else was Korean and Korean American, mostly), so sometimes I'd have to read phrases in languages I can read, but am not fluent in, such as German, for example. I can read it pretty well, though, because I studied it, and was good too, but I forgot it all.

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#13

Welcome To Our Gander Reveal Party!

Welcome To Our Gander Reveal Party!

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#14

Big Cnergy

Big Cnergy

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laka puka
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if i was this guy i would have gone a bit further with that conversation

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#15

Hmm

Hmm

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Aran Lindvail
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There used to be a weird tradition around here of leaving cabbages with angry faces carved into them as a prank. So any sort of face would make that watermelon much more interesting.

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Comics have been filled with battles between good and evil, but audiences are also interested in watching characters on the same side fighting each other.

In season two of "Daredevil" and in the movies "Batman v. Superman" and "Captain America: Civil War," superheroes really duke it out.

These stories are about a conflict between personal ethics and the law. "That's how a lot of people feel, that they have these government forces they can't control, that are doing nefarious things," O'Connor said. "They feel marginalized, and they feel they can't trust the system. And so they take things into their own hands."

#16

Chaotic Neutral Finds A Lost Wallet

Chaotic Neutral Finds A Lost Wallet

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Kimi Tomminello
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's NY and they got everything but their cash, wallet and metro card back. They're very lucky

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#17

Beautiful Chaos

Beautiful Chaos

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Michael LaBossiere, who teaches philosophy at Florida A&M University, takes a more holistic approach and argues that each of us can embody the different character alignments at any point in our lives. It all depends on the situation.

"Sometimes we're more good, sometimes we're more neutral, or in some [cases], we fall into bad behavior," he said. "A person can be decent but have those neutral evil moments when they're selfish and take that last piece of pie."

#21

Lowkey Genious

Lowkey Genious

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Buren
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You must be rich, I imagine a grocery trip would cost you hundred of dollars

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#22

Sooo.. This Fits Here Right?

Sooo.. This Fits Here Right?

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#23

Made A Bookshelf For My Brick Collection

Made A Bookshelf For My Brick Collection

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#24

London’s Tower Bridge Was Completely Shut Off Today Because A Man Decided To Sun Bathe On One Of Its Support Beams

London’s Tower Bridge Was Completely Shut Off Today Because A Man Decided To Sun Bathe On One Of Its Support Beams

LibraryVampireWitch Report

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#25

Want To Grow A Beard?

Want To Grow A Beard?

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F8th
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being oppositional just for the sake of it. Keeping the dream alive.

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#27

The Actual, Real World Embodiment Of Chaotic Neutral

The Actual, Real World Embodiment Of Chaotic Neutral

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#28

Feels Pretty Chaotic Neutral To Me

Feels Pretty Chaotic Neutral To Me

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#31

You're Lying If You Said You Never Thought About Doing This

You're Lying If You Said You Never Thought About Doing This

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Somebody Here
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trying to explain it to the lockpicker: "Uhmm, you see, it's not my door..."

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#33

I Found This Subreddit To Post This

I Found This Subreddit To Post This

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#38

Thanks I Hate Shakespeare’s Quote Of The Day

Thanks I Hate Shakespeare’s Quote Of The Day

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#39

I Make Horrible Things. Here’s A Paintbrush You Can Lick People With

I Make Horrible Things. Here’s A Paintbrush You Can Lick People With

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#43

There's A Lack Of Quality Cn Recently So I Thought I Might Post One

There's A Lack Of Quality Cn Recently So I Thought I Might Post One

evilmaker Report

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#45

I Dont Even Wanna Confuse Search Algorithms, I Was Wanna Do It!

I Dont Even Wanna Confuse Search Algorithms, I Was Wanna Do It!

OnyxAgata Report

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Ryan Deschanel
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or google "why are google stocks suddenly going down" and enjoy the chaos.

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#46

Hmmm

Hmmm

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#48

The Peel Is Where All The Nutrients Are

The Peel Is Where All The Nutrients Are

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Sofia Gonzalez
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good question, I've only had it with the peel once and it wasn't too good so I eat mine without the peel

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#50

It’s Called A Can Opener, Not A Can’t Opener.

It’s Called A Can Opener, Not A Can’t Opener.

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Note: this post originally had 108 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.