Posted by:
Nightingale
(
)
Date: April 02, 2022 12:47PM
thedesertrat1 Wrote:
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> I believe that this is a genetically driven
> condition over which there is little if any
> control available.
> Some humans are just programmed to hate.
I don't think it's "genetically driven" in the way that it's out of our own control. It's like that old Law & Order episode where a male child born of rape grows up to become a rapist himself. His defence counsel's strategy is to claim he couldn't help being a serial rapist because the tendency was in his genes. The cops didn't buy it and neither did the jury and the guy was convicted. They did leave the question out there: could the guy escape the monstrous genetic imprint contributed by his rapist father. It was indicated that the man chose his own destiny, despite any negative contribution by one parent.
Interesting debate and perhaps not fully answered yet. I think most people would want to believe we do have control over our own actions no matter how our genes are mingled. Whether or not that's true is being explored with MRI scanning etc. It would be amazing if concrete answers could be discovered. Maybe not in our lifetimes.
From Psychology Today re the psychology of hate (March/17):
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/nurturing-self-compassion/201703/the-psychology-hatePsychologist Bernard Golden says: "Acts of hate are attempts to distract oneself from feelings such as helplessness, powerlessness, injustice, inadequacy and shame. Hate is grounded in some sense of perceived threat. It is an attitude that can give rise to hostility and aggression toward individuals or groups. Like much of anger, it is a reaction to and distraction from some form of inner pain. The individual consumed by hate may believe that the only way to regain some sense of power over his or her pain is to preemptively strike out at others. In this context, each moment of hate is a temporary reprieve from inner suffering."
“The answer to why we hate, according to Silvia Dutchevici, LCSW, president and founder of the Critical Therapy Center, lies not only in our psychological makeup or family history, but also in our cultural and political history. “We live in a war culture that promotes violence, in which competition is a way of life,” she says. “We fear connecting because it requires us to reveal something about ourselves. We are taught to hate the enemy — meaning anyone different than us — which leaves little room for vulnerability and an exploration of hate through empathic discourse and understanding. In our current society, one is more ready to fight than to resolve conflict. Peace is seldom the option.”
“Hatred has to be learned, Golden says: “We are all born with the capacity for aggression as well as compassion. Which tendencies we embrace requires mindful choice by individuals, families, communities and our culture in general. The key to overcoming hate is education: at home, in schools, and in the community.”
“According to Dutchevici, facing the fear of being vulnerable and utterly human is what allows us to connect, to feel, and ultimately, to love. She suggests creating “cracks in the system.” These cracks can be as simple as connecting to your neighbor, talking with a friend, starting a protest, or even going to therapy and connecting with an ‘Other.’ It is through these acts that one can understand hate and love.”
“In other words, compassion towards others is the true context that heals.”
Scientific American (August/09) – The Origin of Hatred:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-origin-of-hatred/“If love is said to come from the heart, what about hate? Along with music, religion, irony and a host of other complex concepts, researchers are on the hunt for the neurological underpinnings of hatred."
“Some commonalities with love, however, are striking, the study authors note. The areas of the putamen and insula that are activated by individual hate are the same as those for romantic love. "This linkage may account for why love and hate are so closely linked to each other in life," they wrote…”
The attempt to understand neural connections is in early stages and is ongoing.
From the song ‘Walk a Mile in my Shoes’: “Before you abuse, criticize and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes.” That’s what I try to do, not always successfully but the thought and effort are most often worth it.
I think this approach can allay the tendency to hate first and never ask questions.
Scientists have yet to nail down proof on whether hatred is innate or learned, if they ever can. Perhaps it’s a combination of both. But I think it’s worthwhile to strive to understand more and hate less. It would be a start.
Otis Clay: Walk a Mile in my Shoes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVFdc2bRwUYEdited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2022 12:54PM by Nightingale.