Kiado-Ryu Karate


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Aug 24, 2026 - Feature of the Week

The Black Belt Book of Life - Topic #37 - The Live- Evil Riddle

Two sides to every coin
conjoined to form a middle.
Between the concepts “Live” and “Evil”
exists a secret riddle.

We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.

Oscar Wilde

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Winston Churchill

There surely is in human nature an inherent propensity to extract all the good out of all the evil.

Benjamin Haydon

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

Albert Einstein

What is the riddle between the concepts of Live and Evil? Within the two words there exists a secret enigma … and a powerful one. Do you know what it is? Can you figure it out? Look closely at the two words as they are placed side by side:

LIVE ⇔ EVIL

Do you see it? No? Let’s adjust the lettering to give another clue.

Live ⇔ ɘvi⅃

How about now? No? Here’s yet a different look. See it now?

L i v  e v i L

The riddle is that the word “Evil” is “Live” spelled backwards! Very interesting, isn’t it? It is such a beautiful and profound observation, not just in the words’ reversed spelling structure but mainly because the concepts and meanings of these words are exactly reflected in their configuration.

When we “Live” in the truest and highest sense of the word, we live in the atmosphere and move in the direction of all that is good, pure, positive, holy and divine. However, when we reverse direction and move instead toward that which is not good, impure, negative, unholy and demonic we, in effect, live backwards—the exact depiction of the spelling of the word “evil.” In other words, when we move in a positive and divine direction, we live; when we reverse direction and go backwards, moving towards all that is negative and not divine, we commit evil. It’s beautiful. It’s true, and it’s simple.

Some may argue that when we live we can perform actions that are both positive and negative. True. But when we reflect the highest condition of what it is to truly live, we manifest only that which is spiritual and divine and, therefore, if we reverse direction and go backwards, away from a positive direction, it is understandable that we engage in evil, i.e., we live backwards.

The moral of the story—move forward and live. Be positive in all you do, Climb. Seek higher truths. Elevate your mind, body, spirit and consciousness. Avoid reversing direction and moving in the opposite direction. Don’t live backwards! Don’t be evil. Don’t turn the word live around and go backwards, committing evil in the process. Go forward. Live.