Hatred

Abstract

Abstract The book explores how personal hatred can foster domestic violence and emotional abuse; how hate-proneness is a main contributor to the aggressive tendencies of borderlines, narcissists, psychopaths, and hatemongers; how seemingly ordinary people embark on some of history’s worst hate crimes; and how cohesive groups can develop extremist viewpoints that motivate hate crimes, mass shootings, and genocide. The book’s first part explores hate in personal relationships, looking for an answer to the question of why our personal relationships can survive hate and resentment but not disrespect or contempt. It shows that where contempt creates an irreparable power imbalance, hate is tied to fear, which our brains may reinterpret as thrill, attraction, and arousal. But this can also make hate a dangerous emotion that convinces people to hang on to abusive relationships. When tied to vengeance and the dark triad of personality, hate is not only dangerous but also dehumanizing. Vengeance and the dark personalities are not essential to hate, however. Without them, hate can have more admirable ends. The book’s second part explores the polarizing forces that can bias cohesive groups of like-minded individuals and contribute to what is effectively a hate crisis. Drawing on history, politics, legal theory, philosophy, and psychology, it shows how cultural myths about femininity, ethnic groups, and the land of opportunity perpetuate misogyny, racism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism. But politicians and policymakers have it in their power to address the hate crisis through legislation that preserves the original incentive behind our constitutional rights.