Ask HN: Why the Hate?
11 comments
No cited references. Here's a stream of consciousness to provoke a troll or some solumn person who knows better.
Sum it up in one word: Fear. Sense of threat. The unknown is scary. The not-same is scary. Lack of familiarity. People are terrified. Of something. Anything.
Other aspects and similar mental distortions:
Anonymity shows the real core because of the apparent lack of known self versus the usually hidden one. Along with the ability to be anonymous is the ability to explore the usually unknown.
Trolling is the perceived absence of impact and the simulation of importance through thwarting others' natural progress. This is one source of their hate and their fun. They receive accomplishment through the roadblocks they create for others because of the trolling interference. Any social validation is still validation in their mind. In reality the ones who are trolled are progressing regardless and the troll is the one who gets further left behind.
Probably one or more of these. The usual suspects of jealousy etc should not be overlooked but I'm out of beer.
Bonus observation: The nervous people are scary. What are they afraid of? What if they know something? Maybe I should be afraid of THEM? Now the nervous person is a threat just by being "too" nervous or not nervous enough (he's too "aloof" so he doesn't care). This is why some people get attacked by a group. A similar example is the person not sure of themselves: they are a threat because if they are unsure of themselves they are perceived to unsure of and incapable of everything else. "They might do anything. We can't trust them. Better attack them now and find out." This is the basis for at least three different variants of bullying, including mobbing. Difference from the group norm, group cohesiveness reinforcement etc etc.
Sum it up in one word: Fear. Sense of threat. The unknown is scary. The not-same is scary. Lack of familiarity. People are terrified. Of something. Anything.
Other aspects and similar mental distortions:
Anonymity shows the real core because of the apparent lack of known self versus the usually hidden one. Along with the ability to be anonymous is the ability to explore the usually unknown.
Trolling is the perceived absence of impact and the simulation of importance through thwarting others' natural progress. This is one source of their hate and their fun. They receive accomplishment through the roadblocks they create for others because of the trolling interference. Any social validation is still validation in their mind. In reality the ones who are trolled are progressing regardless and the troll is the one who gets further left behind.
Probably one or more of these. The usual suspects of jealousy etc should not be overlooked but I'm out of beer.
Bonus observation: The nervous people are scary. What are they afraid of? What if they know something? Maybe I should be afraid of THEM? Now the nervous person is a threat just by being "too" nervous or not nervous enough (he's too "aloof" so he doesn't care). This is why some people get attacked by a group. A similar example is the person not sure of themselves: they are a threat because if they are unsure of themselves they are perceived to unsure of and incapable of everything else. "They might do anything. We can't trust them. Better attack them now and find out." This is the basis for at least three different variants of bullying, including mobbing. Difference from the group norm, group cohesiveness reinforcement etc etc.
> we're spreading love, peace, kindness, etc
Do you realize a lot of people have to grow up or live in environments where none of these are present? When all you see around you is injustice, it's kinda hard to not want to make 'justice' with your bare hands.
Besides, creating an "us vs them" mentality in whatever subject you choose is a great way to manipulate people, and that generates hate.
Do you realize a lot of people have to grow up or live in environments where none of these are present? When all you see around you is injustice, it's kinda hard to not want to make 'justice' with your bare hands.
Besides, creating an "us vs them" mentality in whatever subject you choose is a great way to manipulate people, and that generates hate.
I guess you couldn't ask a more hippy question. The psychology behind it is that not everybody is born in a fairy tale and plenty of people have good reasons to really dislike certain aspects of life or people, simple as that.
Judgement and criticism of others is a way of distracting one's self from your own life struggles and personal failings.
It's very common, and a big business too; it's what drives much of the media.
But a caution: criticising others for being too critical/hateful can be another version of the same tendency.
I used to do this a lot, and have worked hard to learn not to worry about others and focus on just being/doing good myself.
It's very common, and a big business too; it's what drives much of the media.
But a caution: criticising others for being too critical/hateful can be another version of the same tendency.
I used to do this a lot, and have worked hard to learn not to worry about others and focus on just being/doing good myself.
Hate is as natural as love for humans (perhaps more so) and is adaptive. Consider:
1. In-group bias, which shows up in babies
2. Pecking orders/social status hierarchies, which arise pretty much everywhere from birds to humans; they create a somewhat stable social structure but encourage animosity between those who peck and those who are pecked
3. Communities defining themselves by excluding others (see 1)
4. Scarce resources leading to fights for survival; people who threaten your very survival are easier to hate
5. It's hard to fight people you empathize with, so demonizing/dehumanizing them is necessary if you want to win/survive
1. In-group bias, which shows up in babies
2. Pecking orders/social status hierarchies, which arise pretty much everywhere from birds to humans; they create a somewhat stable social structure but encourage animosity between those who peck and those who are pecked
3. Communities defining themselves by excluding others (see 1)
4. Scarce resources leading to fights for survival; people who threaten your very survival are easier to hate
5. It's hard to fight people you empathize with, so demonizing/dehumanizing them is necessary if you want to win/survive
What planet are you from?
Are you high?
This is a joke?
I tell you this. Some things put hate in your heart. And you go forward 10 years, 5 deployments, divorced, kids are no where near you. And your alone. I am the hater. I hate what I have become. I used to be so different. And I forced myself to enlist. Then saw my country “win hearts and minds” and come back and listen to the mob say there shit. I hate because I am not you.
Calm down man, i'm just very interested by this subject because i'm doing a lots of music where im trying to spread some love because when i was in college i was used to be bullied, so im trying to help kids who are in the similar situation. But even when im trying to spread that kind of messages, there are haters so YEAH im looking for some studies or elements which explain the psychologic side of these people, im not high or crazy, i just want to learn more about the human nature.
I think you should take a look at the Dalai Lama. Seriosuly not trolling. I used to read alot of his books. But, Standford does studieson it. http://ccare.stanford.edu/video/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama/
You just did learn more about human nature ;-)
[deleted]
I think there are few important keywords that could facilitate OP's research on this:
- moral relativism and ethical subjectivism: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_relativism - In-group vs. out-group
- moral relativism and ethical subjectivism: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_relativism - In-group vs. out-group
Thank you for this
In my experience, there is no "we" and "them". People can spend years apparently spreading love, peace, kindness, etc., and then for whatever reason become generally vicious and cruel.
Someone mentioned fear--I think that's part of the reason.
Someone mentioned fear--I think that's part of the reason.
Because the world, for the most part, is (and always has been) a dangerous place and hate has proven to be a very useful (highly conserved through evolutionary time) adaptation to help keep small and delicate bands of our ancestors safe for one more day.
You can see this bias towards negativity easily in the structure of basic emotions. There is one positive affect (happiness) and waaaaay more negative affects (fear, anger, disgust, sadness) and only one neutral (surprise). And those negative emotions are all very distinct.
If you want more detail I can recommend over 120 hours of learning in the following (which I've watched and digested). They'll walk you through the details from the bottom to the top.
-
Watch Robert Sapolsky's lectures:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD7E21BF91F3F9683
Watch Jordan Peterson's Personality lectures:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYYJlNbV1OM&list=PL22J3VaeAB...
and his Maps of Meaning Lectures:
(or read the book or listen to the audio book)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Xc2_FtpHI&list=PL22J3VaeAB...
You can see this bias towards negativity easily in the structure of basic emotions. There is one positive affect (happiness) and waaaaay more negative affects (fear, anger, disgust, sadness) and only one neutral (surprise). And those negative emotions are all very distinct.
If you want more detail I can recommend over 120 hours of learning in the following (which I've watched and digested). They'll walk you through the details from the bottom to the top.
-
Watch Robert Sapolsky's lectures:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD7E21BF91F3F9683
Watch Jordan Peterson's Personality lectures:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYYJlNbV1OM&list=PL22J3VaeAB...
and his Maps of Meaning Lectures:
(or read the book or listen to the audio book)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Xc2_FtpHI&list=PL22J3VaeAB...
[flagged]
Convince me.
Ok, but would you please stop posting unsubstantive comments to HN? You've done it a lot, and we're trying for better than that here.
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Honest question. What is a “hater”?
If i had to define whats a hater is i would say that its a person who are very rude and disrespectfull towards what you are trying to defend, an idea, an ideology, etc... But he will not even try to understand what you are saying, he just hate you because, for example, your personnality will bring a lots of people to you around the world, so he can be jealous of that, and hate you but for no reasons. Its my definition of a hater.
I mean, i dont understand the psychologic side of these people.
Do you now where i can find some studies or articles which explain that phenomenom ? I found nothing on the net..