Our planet has a population of seven billion people. And everyone is unique. Our varying genes, environmental influences and our own set of experiences shape our physical and mental disposition in different ways. On one hand, our differences are a good thing; they create diversity and make this world an interesting place to live in. On the other hand, our varied opinions, preferences, and perspectives could create rifts and cause disharmony.
In personal relationships, our differences could be based on life philosophy, beliefs, habits, and social behavior. All remains well if two people agree to disagree and respect each other’s views. If not, their differences begin to take a toll on their relationship. Tension and aggression mounts and they get caught up in power struggles and ego clashes. In all possibility, the two people who perhaps once liked each other could even end up hating one another.
On a bigger scale, our differences could be based on our nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, faith, political views, gender, and sexual orientation. These differences create rifts between sections of society, and even between nations. They manifest as intolerance, but can eventually turn into hatred. And when this emotion is expressed outwardly, it often takes the form of violence, terrorism, even war.
Hatred, when unleashed, causes destruction. So, why do we hate? More importantly, why do some of us act on that hatred? Human behaviour expert and clinical hypnotherapist Dr Patrick Wanis has written extensively about hate in the articles The Psychology of Hate and The Psychology of Hatred, published on his blog. He writes: “Hatred begins when we believe that an object/person/group is not valuable, insignificant, unworthy. Next, we become fearful of them, believing that they are a threat to us or our survival.” And in response to our own fears, we begin to harbour feelings of hatred and hostility towards them. We even progressively start believing that we are justified to eradicate and eliminate them.
Hate, which is one among the unpleasant emotions, requires expression. The more we learn to acknowledge and respond (not react) to hatred, the better we can understand our likes and dislikes.