BONUS: The Uncomfortable Truth About Hate
BONUS: The Uncomfortable Truth About Hate
What You Need to Know Amidst Ukraine, the Middle East, Mass Shootings, and a Dysfunctional United States Senate
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We're all too familiar with the headlines: the invasion of Ukraine, the terrorism of Hamas, another mass shooting in America. But instead of rehashing these events, let's delve into the complex realm of human emotions, specifically, the murky waters of hate. Picture a dark, stormy sea, waves crashing against the shore, thunder rumbling in the distance. That's hate. It's raw, it's powerful, and it's deeply rooted in our moral beliefs. This leads us to question whether our moral beliefs are justified by thoughtful reflection of facts or if they are automatic, reflexive reactions that are closer to ill-informed opinions.
The Moral Dimensions of Hate
Hate isn't merely an intensified version of dislike. It's a different beast altogether. Dislike is a pebble in your shoe, an itch you can't scratch. It's annoying, sure, but manageable. Hate, on the other hand, is a boulder on your chest, a fire in your soul. It's overwhelming, all-consuming, and tied to our sense of right and wrong.
When we hate someone or something, it's not just because we find them annoying or unpleasant. It's because we believe they're fundamentally wrong, morally reprehensible. They've crossed a line, violated our deeply held beliefs, and for that, they must be condemned.
This moral dimension of hate is what sets it apart from mere dislike. It's what fuels hate crimes, sparks wars, and tears societies apart. It's a force that can drive us to extreme lengths to defend our beliefs and punish those who violate them. These punishments are often disproportionate to the deed, and not a punishment we would ever recommend for someone liked by us (for detailed accounts of this disparity, read the new book, The Canceling of the American Mind).
In a recent study, adults were asked to list their automatic thoughts about six objects they disliked and six objects that they hated. Here is a Word Cloud of what arose as the spontaneous objects of dislike:
And here is what arose as the spontaneous objects of hate:
Hated objects were shown to possess much stronger links to morality than those that were just disliked. And in a separate study, the same scientists dove into the verbal content shared in 46 online hate groups such as Stormfront.org - a forum for over 300,000 users, many affiliated with actual neo-Nazi and White supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. They compared word usage on these sites to an equal number of forums for consumer complaints such as Complaintsboard (who knew these places exist and could be monetized?). Interestingly, the sites did not differ in the number or intensity of negative words. In fact, there was some evidence for greater negative emotional intensity on the consumer complaint sites than in the hate groups! What dominated in hate groups was the expression of moral concerns - "steal" "guilt" "punish" "shameful".
Here's the kicker: our moral beliefs are often wrong. They're shaped by our upbringing, our culture, our experiences. They're subjective, fallible, and sometimes, downright harmful. And when we let these flawed beliefs fuel hate, we risk causing harm and leaving the world worse than before.
The Legitimacy of Our Morality
So, it's worth asking: is our morality legitimate? Are our beliefs truly just, or are they tainted by bias, prejudice, or misinformation? Are we defending a righteous cause, or are we just clinging to outdated, harmful ideologies?
Imagine a world where everyone's moral beliefs are laid bare, open for all to see. Some beliefs are bright and shiny, like precious gems. They promote kindness, compassion, and understanding. Others breed hate, fear, and division - with insufficient consideration of how to use this moment to construct a better world not now, but months and years into the future.
What do you do? Do you cling to your beliefs, defend them at all costs? Or do you question them, challenge them, strive for accuracy and a willingness to change as new evidence emerges?
Provocations
Imagine a person or group you hate. Now, imagine a scenario where they do something that aligns with your moral beliefs. How does this change your perception of them? Does it lessen your hate, or does it confuse you, make you question your beliefs?
Picture a belief you hold dear, one that fuels your hate. Now, imagine a world where this belief is considered morally wrong. How does this make you feel? Do you defend your belief, or do you try to understand the other perspective?
Think of a time when your moral beliefs changed. What caused this change? How did it impact your feelings of hate or dislike towards certain people or groups?
And in a situation where there's hate in your heart, take a brave pause and ask - what evidence do I need to switch from hate to dislike, even a reversal where you admit that first impression was wrong? This happened to me yesterday and I apologized online.
These thought experiments aren't meant to provide clear-cut answers. They're meant to stir the pot, to make you question the legitimacy of your morality. Because when it comes to hate, it's not just about who or what we hate—it's about why we hate, and whether our reasons are just.
For more, read the article that inspired this issue: Pretus, C., Ray, J. L., Granot, Y., Cunningham, W. A., & Van Bavel, J. J. (2023). The psychology of hate: moral concerns differentiate hate from dislike. European Journal of Social Psychology, 53(2), 336-353.
