What is hatred and interesting facts about reasons for hating others

 

What is hatred?

Hatred is a strong feeling of disgust or hostility towards someone or something. It is an intense emotional reaction characterized by deep dislike, resentment, or disdain. Hatred can come in many forms, from mild dislike or irritation to extreme and intense hostility.

Hatred is often accompanied by negative thoughts, strong negative emotions, and a desire to cause harm or negative consequences to the object of hatred. This can be caused by many factors, including personal experience, ideological differences, prejudice, or social conditions.

Even though we can describe hatred as a concept, it can be difficult to define this state in ourselves. This is a complex and conflicting phenomenon, which everyone defines for themselves somewhat differently. 

According to general psychology, hatred is a feeling, emotion, affect, while at the same time social psychology defines the state as society and an angry crowd. 

For lawyers, the concept of a “hate crime” has no justification at all, and those who work in the military do not agree with any of the above because they believe that a soldier should feel noble hatred for the enemy. Biologists look for the causes of hostility in genes, physiologists - in instincts, doctors - in hormones.

Combating hate requires understanding, empathy, and efforts to promote tolerance, respect, and inclusion in personal and community contexts.

Reasons for hating others: interesting facts

What does hatred of others have to do with it if we are talking about our own lives? The fact is that our view of life is always complex, and dissatisfaction with others is a projection of our attitude towards ourselves. Therefore, we can explore self-flagellation through what irritates us in others.

Man is a biosocial being; accordingly, the main causes of hostility can be divided into four groups:

• Biological – hormonal background, diseases against which aggression occurs .
• Psychological – irritation towards objects and hostility due to the need to survive in emergency situations. This also includes character traits and the influence of the external environment in which a person was formed and lived.
• Social - the influence of the group to which a person belongs, and the division into friends and strangers, young and old, homosexual and heterosexual - any radically diametrical communities.
• Authoritative - the desire to obey or disobey someone who is higher in status or position.

American research psychologists Katherine Aumer from Hawaii Pacific University and Elaine Hatfield from the University of Hawaii at Manoa decided to understand the nature of hatred, and the best way, in their opinion, to do this is to ask ordinary people how they define this feeling, when and under what conditions experience, from what age. 

The researchers compiled a detailed questionnaire and administered it to the respondents. Analyzing the responses, Katherine Aumer described some of the findings and presented them at the Association for Psychological Science meeting in San Francisco.

Here are the main conclusions:

• Mostly people hate those they know well; strong emotions of hostility are rarely directed towards strangers. The main reason for this phenomenon is betrayal of various kinds: failure to fulfill a promise, infidelity cause a strong disgust for other individuals.
• For the first time, people experience hatred at the age of 12 - this is high school, a period of active socialization, the desire for autonomy and independence, and the development of self-awareness. Teenagers are faced with misunderstandings from loved ones who do not share their new views.
• The age range for dedication to hatred is wide - people spend on this feeling from 6 months to 40 years.
• Most often, respondents meant by hatred one of the feelings in the extreme degree of manifestation: hostility, disgust or anger.
• For women, ex-husbands are the most hated objects; young ladies aged 28-32 are especially susceptible to destructive feelings. Also, former colleagues and even friends can be objects of hostility.
• The greatest degree of hatred goes to the closest people: family members, loved ones. These could be parents, parents-in-law, brothers and sisters. Fortunately, they rarely become this way - one out of 100 respondents dislikes the people closest to them.
• On average, people hate about five people in their lifetime. In men, feelings of hatred develop over time as they get older and peak on average in the mid-30s and decline until the mid-50s.
• People rarely experience hatred on a regular basis; most do not experience this feeling at all.
• People rarely name political events, crime and violence, which are intensively broadcast from messenger channels, television and other media, as objects of hatred.

Hatred is a deep feeling that directly affects a person at sensitive points - during periods of internal crises, in relation to those who are closest to the soul.

Why do people hate their lives?

People can experience feelings of hatred towards their lives for a variety of reasons. Here are some common factors that may contribute to such emotions:

• Mental health problems. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or other mental disorders can significantly affect a person's outlook on life. These conditions can distort thoughts, emotions and overall well-being, leading to feelings of hopelessness, despair and self-hatred.
• Unfulfilled expectations. When life does not live up to one's expectations or desires, it can lead to feelings of disappointment and dissatisfaction. Whether it's career aspirations, personal relationships, or other goals, unmet expectations can contribute to a negative outlook on life.
• Traumatic experiences of events such as abuse, the loss of a loved one, or another serious life-changing incident can greatly impact a person's mental and emotional well-being. As a result, emotional pain and distress can contribute to hatred of life.
• Chronic stress and adversity. Long-term exposure to nervous and psychological stress, adversity or difficult life circumstances such as poverty, discrimination or on-going personal problems can undermine a person's resilience and lead to a negative perception of one's existence.
• Social isolation and loneliness. Feeling disconnected from others and lacking a support system can contribute to feelings of emptiness, unhappiness, and a hatred of life. Social connection and belonging are integral to the human experience, forming fundamental needs.
• Self-esteem issues, feelings of inadequacy, or a negative self-image can greatly impact how a person perceives their life. Negative self-perception can lead to self-criticism, self-blame, and general dislike or hatred of oneself and one's life.
• Existential questions about the purpose and meaning of life can sometimes lead to feelings of frustration or despair. When people struggle to find a sense of purpose or satisfaction, it can contribute to a negative outlook on life.

It is important to note that these factors can interact and influence each other, and the reasons for hating life can be very individual and complex. There may be several solutions in this case: seeking professional help from mental health experts can provide support and guidance for people struggling with these emotions, boosting emotional intelligence to learn to self-regulate one's own condition.

How does hatred affect life?

At some point, the feeling of hatred towards any object becomes too intense. At this time, there is a risk of destructive behavior, which will interfere with the neutralization of irritation and the person’s ability to cope with the stress that arises. The individual becomes dangerous to himself. 

Thus, a person can injure himself, including unconsciously, in order to relieve stress, reduce anxiety, punish the body and, as it were, “cleanse” it. In advanced forms of self-hatred, disorders such as eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, and, in particularly severe cases, thoughts of suicide can occur.

Self-hatred makes a person withdraw into himself - he does not see the colors of the world around him, he constantly thinks about specific problems, often not at all objective. In isolation, a feeling of shame often appears, which aggravates the situation - a person may think that he does not deserve to feel good. 

As a result, he stops taking care of himself, avoids any opportunities that could make his life better: he stops eating normally, resting, sleeping, maintaining physical activity and communicating with other people.

The emotion of hatred has the right to life, but in limited quantities - often we cannot block its occurrence. But in any case, you shouldn’t waste your life on hatred - this destructive feeling takes a lot of energy and time. It is better to use energy to correct discontent and positive achievements.

How to recognize signs of hatred in yourself?

Recognizing the signs of self-loathing within yourself can be an important step towards understanding and overcoming this feeling, which our psyche normally represses for the purpose of self-preservation. 

We also often think that the cause of hostility is the very objects that cause destructive feelings.

Here are some potential signs that may indicate feelings of self-hatred:

• Negative self-talk. Pay attention to how you talk to yourself. If you frequently subject yourself to harsh self-criticism, berate yourself for mistakes, or constantly think negatively about your worth and abilities, this could be a sign of self-hatred [ Psychologies, 2023 ]
• Low self-esteem. Persistent feelings of inadequacy, worthlessness, or lack of self-confidence. This may manifest as a constant feeling that you are not good enough or a belief that you are fundamentally flawed.
• Self-destructive behavior such as self-harm, substance abuse, excessive risk-taking, or neglect of one's physical or emotional well-being. This behavior may be due to a deep-seated belief that you are not worthy of care or positive experiences.
• Isolation and detachment. If you find yourself constantly withdrawing from social interactions, isolating yourself from others, or avoiding social opportunities, this could be a sign of self-hatred. Believing that you are unworthy of love or acceptance can lead to self-isolation.
• Sabotaging your own success or avoiding growth opportunities. This may manifest as a fear of failure or an unconscious desire to reinforce negative beliefs about oneself.
• Emotional difficulties. Frequent feelings of anger, resentment, sadness, or emptiness without obvious external triggers. These emotions can be directed inward and may indicate unresolved self-esteem issues.

It's important to remember that self-hatred is a complex issue, and having one or more of these signs doesn't necessarily mean you hate yourself. However, if you consistently identify with some of these symptoms and they have a significant impact on your well-being and daily life, you need to think about your own mental health.

Identify negative beliefs about yourself and try to understand where they come from. Learn to distinguish between fantasies and reality: are the reproaches you address to yourself justified, do you really feel guilty because you were made to feel guilty.