“Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil.” – Niccolo Machiavelli

Hate has been hypothesized as a learned emotion, which usually develops in the emotionally formative years of 6-8. However, researchers have argued that “hate is linked to morality through negative moral appraisals.”⁽¹⁾ Moral appraisals are not learned between the ages of 6-8 but rather much later in life.

Propaganda, also not a learned experience of early childhood development, is also seen as a potential influencer toward hatred, especially when it relates to one’s political ideology.  What are the different dimensions of hate?  Although not a complete list, contempt, anger, and disgust do have a specific relationship to hatred that needs to be clarified. 

“He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.” – Albert Einstein

Contempt and Hate

Contempt is characterized as a way of negatively and comparatively regarding someone who is presented as falling below one’s personal baseline ⁽³⁾. They are considered ‘less than’. This definition would encompass most forms of racial or religious prejudice and economic status bias.

This dimension of hatred provides the hater with feelings of superiority and entitlement. Contempt gives rise to a belief that the hater has the right to judge. Judgement becomes an outward expression of one’s hatred.

The internal mechanism of entitlement and superiority are moral appraisals learned later in life.  At times, these judgements are derived from an implicit bias, which is usually unknown to the person who is judging. 

Most contemptuous behaviour is learned through the judger’s environmental experiences and social interaction.  This would include family and associated friends and colleagues.         

“Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.” – Benjamin Franklin

Anger and Hate

Anger is a significant part of hatred. However, hatred is more of an ingrained belief system. Anger can be the manifestation or reaction to the more complex concept of hate. Anger is the emotional response, usually more short-lived, but hatred is possibly the core of that response.

Hatred with anger contains a blaming component and this is where actions toward others can turn violent. Feelings of blame are usually projections onto others, freeing ourselves from being responsible.

One anger that appears to be more justified is our dignity anger.  Here the person is protecting their identity though the expression of their anger.  This anger is not about retribution or violence but rather a strongly stated defence of one’s personal identity.

“If there is a God, the phrase that must disgust him is - holy war.” – Steve Allen

Disgust and Hate

Disgust represents the most tangible example of moral appraisal. Those people experiencing disgust view their hatred as justified due to the immoral or undesirable qualities of the object of their hate. There is an attempt to avoid contact with anyone or anything that constitutes one’s disgust.

Disgust is usually aligned with one’s personal values.  This area of judgement will vary mostly due to the range of values that people aspire to.  What is disgusting to one person may be perfectly okay for another person.  This points to the high degree of subjectivity involved in all our moral appraisals.  One size does not fit all.

“Reverence for life affords me my fundamental principle of morality.” - Albert Schweitzer

Moral Concerns

To date, research on hate is minimal. The moral appraisals gap at present are a worldwide issue. Differences in ideologies around the globe are fueling massive hatred, which is mainly derived from ignorance, bias and subjectivity.

In a time when communication has never been more readily available, we have never been less efficient at fruitful and effective dialogue. When moral appraisals are so diverse, we will need to be much more articulate in our ability to decrease these moral appraisal gaps.  Otherwise, contempt, anger and disgust are waiting to ambush those individuals or groups on their threshold of tolerance.

We would have to start by forgiving our differences. When forgiving our differences we eliminate the need for retaliation and take on new ideas and experiences that will help us bridge the gaps.

This applies to individual differences as well as international.  Reinforcing openness of expression and new and fresh ideas will help all of us to be more accepting of each other’s differences.  After all, what we know is finite.  What we don’t know and could know is infinite. 

^References

^{1-C. Pretus, J.L. Ray, Y. Granot, W.A. Cunningham, J.J. Van Bavel (2022). The psychology of hate: Moral concerns differentiate hate from dislike. European Journal of Social psychology, 3 November, 2022.}

^{2-R.J. Sternberg (2003). A Duplex Theory of Hate: Development and Application to Terrorism, Massacres, and Genocide. Review of General Psychology, Volume 7, Issue 3.}

^{3-M. Bell (2013). What Is Contempt? Oxford Academic, April, 2013.}