As a society we struggle with hate to a point we are confused what it looks like. I guess in some ways it is unfair to say as a society "WE struggle" because I believe hate to exist across the globe in different forms for different reasons. It is something that people have struggled with as we move from the archaic nature of the past to something more stable and enlightened. Hate is an anchor for the past burdening our true potential through the suppression and harm of those we deem as "undesirables".
Hate is based in how we see ourselves and our ability to find an appropriate place the grand order of society. As social creatures hate becomes a way of deflecting our weaknesses to hide them behind easy to exploit targets. Hate has nothing to do with truth, fairness, justice, equality, stability, or equity. Hate is a truly a social affair through how we perceive ourselves in relation to others.
Most Don't Know Themselves or their Bias as Much as the Believe
Can you hate or do you see the value in each person on a deeper level? (Take note of what you just said because more than not we all want to feel like we take the higher moral road.)What we say about ourselves and what we are may be different things depending on who your asking and how much they know about you. We often find that people have three versions of themselves. They are in part 1. how they perceive themselves (Me), 2.) how society perceives them (WE) and 3.) how they really are (I).
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| Aristotle School of Athens |
Sometimes self reflection comes through challenges and taking stock of personal resources and perceptions in order to master important challenges. If you never step outside your comfort zone you will not have an opportunity to understand the worm at the core that comes to define your true self. You won't know yourself fully because you don't know your most inner values, thoughts, and reactions to life threatening situations and/or complex unanswered questions of life. Go through a few of those and you start to see truer selves of people which is a good sign you see your self truer. Who are you, what do you believe, what do you stand for, what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses, etc... all become increasingly defined through lifetimes of challenge.
We See Ourselves Through Skewed Lens
We are made up of perception (self, others, society) resting on top of a deeper level (biology and genetics). While the ability to detect differences and categorize "others" may have biological roots the interpretation of that information is socially constructed based on how we see self in relation to others (Perception of self within society and society's perception of that self. One must perceive themselves as part of the whole and the whole must perceive its parts to be two separate identities.)
The overwhelming urge to see ourselves as good and more worthy of reward when compared to others is based in that reference point of self and the need to fulfill those needs. For example, we all need to eat and if you have more money you can secure your survival by buying more land and food. So we will have interest in the benefits of money. Its natural that we would want more of what ensures our comfort and survival.
Some psychological self-orientation is reasonable but a problem arises when distortion creates "better than thou" in-group dynamics that rest in part through a false method of dehumanizing others as "lower than thou". A sense of entitlement takes hold and when distortion is supported by local institutions through shared social networks (i.e. those associated with the core network) that ensure different rules for different kinds of people (Different entities with different purposes, rules, and norms has always been an issue for any government.).
The individuals who engaged in such group enriching acts see themselves as not only more worthy (in needs obtainment) but that such benefits are justification to their inflated sense of self and the distorted reflection of a social group that shares commonality of thought (i.e. blind support for hate and flying monkey's). In other words, at their stage of development the perception of self hasn't fully differentiated from their social self leaving them confused as to what is theirs and what is the group's beliefs (i.e. making such level 1 thinkers easy to influence by political persuasion, hate propaganda, trends, etc... as their validation is external but is perceived internally without that knowledge.)
Hate as a Group Distortion
Hate becomes a social disease where social group self behavior diminishes the perceived responsibility of the individual self. This lack of clear differentiation between social self and individual self is a sign of a lack of independence in thought and action. While they are individually responsible they acted within a social network that did not frown on such behaviors. In their minds, they were not responsible because they didn't actively seek to cause harm but only support it through social agreement and normalization (i.e. words of encouragement on social level and turning the blind eye on a systems level).
The true self within these situations did not ever manifest for most of the group members because the life experience, self development potential and opportunity did not present itself within the homogeneous environment in a way that allowed one to reflect and become aware of their true self. In other words, the lower order thinking has not been required to adapt to higher order thinking through necessity (That self that exists when you have only bad choices and pick the most beneficial of them despite the odds and despite the resistance and risk. I have an opportunity to teach about my experience of hate in writings just like this. )
Failure to develop as a person is not an excuse or invite to engage in behaviors and we must make sure that the system doesn't allow for or encourage such behaviors. What I have proposed about mandatory mental health for the perpetrators, reform of the dept. that engaged inappropriate conduct based in the need to protect others outside the "clan", ensuring the local college HR department doesn't continue to hire based on personal/institutional bias, audit of financial incentives, etc. are all reasonable under the circumstances, as the situation was unfolding and then again afterward. Free passes are splits between what we profess as a society and how we act on a granular level can create irreconcilable "truths" on what we should be (ideal we strive for as a nation and as stated in our historical artifacts) and what we are (where our system currently is as a developmental stage and why we are/will experiencing/experience fundamental changes in that system through multiple forms of pressures. i.e. distrust, poor leadership, protest, poor recruiting, rise in crime, political encampment, lack of solutions, etc. Look at it this way. Every system is on the way to becoming something. We adapt because we have to adapt. Old systems create pressure to change and we are in a place where its obvious we should start changing. We should take what works and build on that to make something better. We are all part of the same boat and have the right to define how this boat will be managed and powered. i.e. loss of human capital.).
Of course just because I think it doesn't mean that it is true as I am limited in knowledge and information. Like all other people I am also limited in capacity to understand and sometimes can misconstrue information (Although I often correct when I find information that is relevant. Generally I have been sort of right about most things but am often wrong enough to know not to suspect there are not alternatives out there.). What I can say for certain is that if I am thinking about it, it is important to me, my thinking is proof I exist, and my existence is proof I "am", and that my right to exist (i.e. without intimidation, threat or loss) supersedes the rights of the 'entitled' to transfer their issues onto others, and that society should support certain values for the best interest of ALL of societal stakeholders to ensure the agreed upon social contract fundamentals are enforced.
What now happens.....I'm not sure.....Its not up to me.....I only say what I think because in the end usually its in the ball park right spot and its a duty to improve society through thinking. We think so we exist as a societal construction. What we are going to think is up to those who can step outside their tightly bound social networks (See No Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil Monkeys 😏🙈🙉🙊)
cogito ergo sum! -Rene Descartes
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