The Irrationality of Group Rage

Group rage starts with loyalty to individuals who rage. Why people rage run from all different justifications but most rage is usually unwarranted. People who critical think typically don't rage against others. They may be upset, they may disagree, but they don't have the psychological benefits to rage. Rage is a deeper emotion that does sometimes have value for self defense but is often used as offence to harm others. 

In situations where hate is mixed rage is often marked by the desire to maintain a cover on one's internal feelings (Sometimes other incentives such as money and embarrassment but these are associated with deeper issues). An early childhood loss, feelings of inadequacy, etc.. and to keep at bay those overwhelming feelings so they project them onto a target. 

Typically these targets are people they are jealous of, who disagree with them, frustrate them, or are better then them in some way or form. They may or may not be better but they are perceived that way. In the perpetrators mind the best way to stop those feelings is to put that person down and devalue their lives. 

That devaluing comes from making up stories, lying, dehumanizing and other distorted sense of projections. When it is one's feelings alone it has no legitimacy (i.e. angry person) but when they can get a group involved it is seen as legitimate (It may all be a distorted subconscious lie but its about sharing that rage with others and finding supporters in hate.)

The weaker the personalities they surround themselves, the lower the boundaries (i.e. cultish/clannish groups), the more likely they are going find adherents to their cause. The group becomes a tool to get the target even though the target didn't do anything wrong and/or had every right to protect themselves and their family (Irrationality of the group lost in the legitimacy of numbers.)

What makes these situations dangerous is that the group becomes not only the tool but also the enablers of hate. They become unable to choose their own value systems and must hate the target even though the target has always been nice to them and they have no valid reason to do so. 

This becomes increasingly more distorted in groups where each persons value is highly structured and they are told what to believe, who their friends can be, what values they hold, etc... In this case we are talking about a ex mediocre sports group from 25+ years ago that has not grown up or created healthy sense of self. 

Because of this limited thinking and cultish adherents such groups become dangerous. They are not able to be derailed because the internal dialogue is distorted and their false perception becomes put on the target (Let us pretend that the target has done nothing wrong.) They become Steven King creepy in the sense that they will not deter themselves from their object or pick a healthier path forward. Throw in there a couple of cops whose social life is owed to the group members and you have a big problem (Using legitimate authority for illegal and illegitimate things. Extremism cuts across our societies.) Our tomorrow is defined by our actions today.