The Prevalence of Hatred

Everyone is a potential hater. Aggression is a part of every person's makeup. Depending on one's family training, the culture one lives in, and the circumstances of one's life, aggression are expressed openly, covertly, or repressively. Various social mechanisms do provide acceptable outlets for aggression. One such outlet is declared warfare, in which wounding or killing other people is not only excused but also celebrated and rewarded.

Another outlet is organized sports. You need only observe a well-attended athletic event to experience the intensity of feeling generated by the sanctioned expression of hostility during competition. One affiliates with a particular team and the other team is the "enemy." It is okay to act out belligerently toward the enemy by shouting scornfully at the opposing players during competitive play. This is an acceptable vehicle for the aggression that might otherwise be acted out in a way that would bring harm to innocent victim. In that regard organized sport provides an important service to the society; it contains aggression and makes the world a slightly safer place to be.

One need only think about the implications of this to get a hint of the potential for hatred that exists just below the surface of many human transactions. To understand the influence of this emotion on personal behavior, we must look at its role in the psychological life of the individual, any individual, even you or me.

Next: Why Do People Hate?

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