“[Lucifer is] the ultimate solipsist - the guy who'd burn the world down to light his cigarette. He's not cruel, particularly - although he's capable of cruelty - he's just so focused on his own goals and his own needs that nobody else exists for him. It's fascinating to see how that plays out, and how he affects the people who cross his path. [...] That solipsism makes him appallingly dangerous, but he's not evil in the sense of wanting destruction or harm for others. All of which is really just casuistry, because I think total self-absorption is probably the root of most evil that we meet in the world - and so Lucifer can stand quite well as the embodiment of whatever it is that makes us see someone else's life as less important than our immediate comfort.”

Mike Carey [x]

if you are a Mike Carey fan you need to go read his novel The Steel Seraglio