Humanity is MIBs worst enemy by Little Ben

What follows are the musings of a Lost fan....

I was chewing over the relationship between MIB and Jacob, and have always hung on the red herring that Jacob catches and eats before his conversation with MIB on the beach.

Jacob classes the two as old friends which, to me, suggests that the element of good and bad and all the other Yin and Yang references may not hold, completely, true. The competition is for humanity to end the contest without fighting, corrupting and destroying. It is a trial for humanity to prove themselves. (see Star Trek NG 'All Good Things' for the general idea) One man believes they can, and the other is exhausted at even the prospect of being incarcerated until they do.
Consequently, I believe that MIB was brought to the island, after death. Brought as punishment for something he had done in his life. This form of punishment was to be devils advocate to hope. His incarceration was worse than the after life, where he could be reunited with his love. His incarceration meant he had to spend a long time being proved right. I believe that once upon a time he wanted Jacob to win, he wanted him to be proved wrong so he could be free, but humanity continued to make wrong choices. The contest isn't between the two men, it's between them and humanity, it's just that for MIB to win, humanity has to play differently. Endless years of waiting has not offered any hope for his freedom. So much so that now he wants out. If he needs to use the same human attributes (fighting, corrupting, destroying) to be free, then so be it. In fact, it seems poetic. Apathy and impatience have finally beaten him. Go home to his love. Be free, at all costs.
At this stage I begin to feel empathy for the man. Can he not be rehabilitated, himself? Clearly not until humanity pulls its socks up.

But MIB has broken the rules, and the young blond haired boy shows him that he has blood on his hands. What further punishment can he get? I believe to stay on the island. There will be a new Jacob, but MIB will remain that characters nemesis. Freedom will only ever come, when humanity gets it right. I fear he could be waiting for a long time to come.......