Hating Something or Someone as a Form of Self-Entertainment

[Sunstone]

Obviously, people hate for a variety of reasons, some reasons being perhaps more common than others. But how often do you suppose people hate in order to distract themselves from their petty, boring, meaningless lives? Do you think, for instance, it is relatively frequent or relatively rare? Just curious.

I myself have sometimes suspected that most of the intense, interpersonal animosities I've seen in my life which blossomed from insignificant or very minor slights and perceived slights were fueled by a desire on the part of one or both parties to thus escape from their petty, boring, meaningless lives. That is, the person or persons were using hatred much like many of us use entertainments. And my guess is that a whole lot of political animosities are at root much the same.

What do you think?

 

[psychoslice]

I think this is what drives people to the movies.

 

[Nietzsche]

Spite is literally one of only two or three things that keeps me motivated.

 

[Deidre]

''They'' say that the opposite of love isn't hate...it's indifference. Ignoring someone takes less energy, but it actually speaks louder than spite or hate.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Obviously, people hate for a variety of reasons, some reasons being perhaps more common than others. But how often do you suppose people hate in order to distract themselves from their petty, boring, meaningless lives? Do you think, for instance, it is relatively frequent or relatively rare? Just curious.

I myself have sometimes suspected that most of the intense, interpersonal animosities I've seen in my life which blossomed from insignificant or very minor slights and perceived slights were fueled by a desire on the part of one or both parties to thus escape from their petty, boring, meaningless lives. That is, the person or persons were using hatred much like many of us use entertainments. And my guess is that a whole lot of political animosities are at root much the same.

What do you think?

Yeah, I've known some people like that in my lifetime, and I see it in our political and social world, people want to be better than someone else, individually or applied to groups.

 

[Maponos]

It's not that I choose to hate; it's just that I seldom find anything worth my adoration.

 

[Quagmire]

Obviously, people hate for a variety of reasons, some reasons being perhaps more common than others. But how often do you suppose people hate in order to distract themselves from their petty, boring, meaningless lives? Do you think, for instance, it is relatively frequent or relatively rare? Just curious.

I myself have sometimes suspected that most of the intense, interpersonal animosities I've seen in my life which blossomed from insignificant or very minor slights and perceived slights were fueled by a desire on the part of one or both parties to thus escape from their petty, boring, meaningless lives. That is, the person or persons were using hatred much like many of us use entertainments. And my guess is that a whole lot of political animosities are at root much the same.

What do you think?

I think it's one of the driving principles of the internet.

In fact, without it, I suspect all we would have online would be porn and shopping.

 

[Neo Deist]

But how often do you suppose people hate in order to distract themselves from their petty, boring, meaningless lives?

I am quite sure that there are people that use RF for this very reason.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Hate is definitely a fun emotion in right contexts.

Sport and fictional narratives serve as wonderful surrogates for man's instinctive need for conflict and violence without causing too much harm.

Other contexts, not so much.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Hate is definitely a fun emotion in right contexts.

Sport and fictional narratives serve as wonderful surrogates for man's instinctive need for conflict and violence without causing too much harm.

Other contexts, not so much.

Additionally, I remember I used to absolutely loathe Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck.

Now that Beck is an afterthought, I couldn't care less.

When O'Reilly and Jon Stewart had that big debate a while back, I started to realize that they were in fact two sides of the same coin. I distinctly remember an incredibly subtle image right when the debate was reaching its closing point where the two of them were kind of sharing a smirk together; a huge penny dropped in my mind and I suddenly understood that the whole thing was much less a debate than it was a performance.

I honestly believe now that Bill O'Reilly doesn't even actually believe a lot of his own **** and that his show is actually all about barracking which is what could be said for most of the media.

Then you've got people like Alan Jones who is basically Bill O'Reilly on meth.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Obviously, people hate for a variety of reasons, some reasons being perhaps more common than others. But how often do you suppose people hate in order to distract themselves from their petty, boring, meaningless lives? Do you think, for instance, it is relatively frequent or relatively rare? Just curious.

I myself have sometimes suspected that most of the intense, interpersonal animosities I've seen in my life which blossomed from insignificant or very minor slights and perceived slights were fueled by a desire on the part of one or both parties to thus escape from their petty, boring, meaningless lives. That is, the person or persons were using hatred much like many of us use entertainments. And my guess is that a whole lot of political animosities are at root much the same.

What do you think?

I think this extends to all forms of self-created drama.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

Obviously, people hate for a variety of reasons, some reasons being perhaps more common than others. But how often do you suppose people hate in order to distract themselves from their petty, boring, meaningless lives? Do you think, for instance, it is relatively frequent or relatively rare? Just curious.

I myself have sometimes suspected that most of the intense, interpersonal animosities I've seen in my life which blossomed from insignificant or very minor slights and perceived slights were fueled by a desire on the part of one or both parties to thus escape from their petty, boring, meaningless lives. That is, the person or persons were using hatred much like many of us use entertainments. And my guess is that a whole lot of political animosities are at root much the same.

What do you think?

Perhaps boredom allows people to sit and simmer in ill thoughts, but I don't feel that is the main reason. I think hate of a certain people allows some to channel and focus their various frustrations on to something more tangible. They are angry and upset, perhaps legitimately, and just looking for someone to blame. I think such hate largely springs out of ignorance, rather than being bored. I also think hate can be a reaction to feeling threatened.

Consider the KKK in the 1950s, they had an unusual swell in their numbers during this time. Mainly from working class white families, that were having a hard time and looking for someone to blame for their difficulties. The world was changing around them, and they felt threatened by it. The KKK gave them a sense of control, and a focus for their anger.

 

[LuisDantas]

Right on target, @Sunstone

It is a big scary world out there. Made somewhat less scary when we learn to focus on despise and hatred.

It matters not whether the target even exists, as long as we have convinced ourselves that it does.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think it's one of the driving principles of the internet.
In fact, without it, I suspect all we would have online would be porn and shopping.

You forget about expanding our minds in the antique machinery forums.

 

[VioletVortex]

I derive pleasure from hating people. Generally, I'm a compassionate person; I'd die for people I cared about, but I feel like some people are so stupid that the forfeit all right to existence. It's a natural instinct to hate those who cause you problems, that's why we actually find it enjoyable to an extent. It's evolutionarily advantageous. Don't take what I said incorrectly, if I got to know you, I'd probably like you. It's hard for me to hate those who I know well. I guess I'm just cynical.

 

[Jeremiahcp]

I derive pleasure from hating people. Generally, I'm a compassionate person; I'd die for people I cared about, but I feel like some people are so stupid that the forfeit all right to existence. It's a natural instinct to hate those who cause you problems, that's why we actually find it enjoyable to an extent. It's evolutionarily advantageous. Don't take what I said incorrectly, if I got to know you, I'd probably like you. It's hard for me to hate those who I know well. I guess I'm just cynical.

"that's why we actually find it enjoyable"

I don't find hate or anger enjoyable. In fact they are very unpleasant and main reason I try not to hold on to those feels and simply let them go. Also, they uses up too much energy and thought that I could be using for more productive ends. I am sure those feelings serve important functions, but I can't remember actually enjoying having a mind full of hate and/or anger. It is generally something I want to resolve and move away from.

 

[primož]

Note: Hate is not the same as anger. Hate is to say >I am more than everyone else<, but what happens when you are in a situation where you can't handle the circumstances? Say you have a brother who feels he's on top of a mountain, at home, all the time. But when he's in a situation outside home, lets say there are two men in the street about to fight, if he reacts as he does at home, with hate, what do you think it will happen? That should probably be a moment of grace, where he would have to observe how little he is (we all are) in this world sometimes. How can you move through life with a sense of >I can handle every stressful situation with hate<? Hate doesn't solve your problems, it worsen them and also makes you very miserable in the process. Hate? Don't hate, but be angry at all the situations when you're feeling weak and try and do something about it. Find a source of courage in your heart.