Why Do People Hate? Understanding the Roots of Intolerance
February 14, 2024 — JORDY NIJENHUIS
In today's digital age, hate speech and online intolerance have become pervasive issues, affecting communities and lives worldwide. To delve deeper into this phenomenon, our podcast "Zooming in on Hate," recently interviewed Arun Mansukhani, a clinical psychologist based in Spain. In this insightful conversation, Arun shared valuable perspectives on the psychology behind intolerance and offered strategies to combat it effectively. Here is a summary of the most important points.
Let’s start with a really broad question. Why is it so easy to be intolerant?
Arun: “Because this is hardwired in our brain. Literally. We have a natural tendency to divide the world into twos, into blacks and whites, constantly. This is called dichotomous thinking. A specific form of this is when we divide people and make two groups; an in-group and an out-group. This is very natural for us, and we're doing this constantly. People who have an iPhone or a Samsung, fans of Real Madrid or Barcelona, left versus right, we constantly divide the world into groups.
This has to do with our need for belonging. We create a group to belong to and at the same time an out-group that we perceive as different. Sometimes the out-group can just be a single individual, that can be enough. And once we do this, we have to be a ‘good’ member of our own group. And part of being a ‘good member’ of your in-group is being nasty with the out-group. We can see this in politics for example. The people that are the most harsh against the other political group are rewarded with attention and votes. And, when it's anonymous, it becomes even worse. This has been studied for a long time. When a mob attacks an individual, it initially starts with just one or two people. But, when that individual falls down. Everybody joins in and starts kicking.”
That is something that probably also happens online. Do you think that anonymity has a role to play in exacerbating hatred or the intolerance towards different people?
Arun: “No doubt, and this has a double effect. One is that I'm not going to be punished. And this is not a condition, it’s a very basic emotion, because we respond to punishment. The other one has to do with empathy. Emotional empathy has a lot to do with physical contact. It has to do with being close to the other person and seeing their suffering. The online world lacks this physical contact and empathy is completely lost. I'm not seeing the other person. I'm not feeling how the other person is feeling. And that's just basic emotional empathy. It's much easier to divide people into groups when you're actually not talking with a person.
Luckily, we don't all have the capacity to be psychopathic. There are people that probably will never show psychopathic behaviour in any condition, and then there is a small group of people that will have a psychopathic behaviour in any condition. Those are people we call psychopaths, and one to four percent of the population show these traits according to research. But, most individuals exist on a spectrum, capable of both empathy and intolerance depending on circumstances. Factors such as perceived threats, group dynamics, and emotional responses further shape one's propensity for hate.”
So are you seeing any psychological solutions to stopping online hate? Ways to increase empathy?
“Basically, there are three practical strategies aimed at fostering empathy and bridging divides:
Information Dissemination: While informative, merely presenting facts often fails to sway entrenched beliefs due to cognitive biases, so we need education on a deeper level.
Public Demonstrations: Protests and public displays can empower marginalised groups but may inadvertently strengthen extreme viewpoints.
Intergroup Contact: Facilitating meaningful interactions between diverse communities fosters empathy and reduces prejudice. Building bridges and fostering understanding through dialogue and shared experiences emerge as potent antidotes to hate.
Despite the challenges posed by online hate, we should remain optimistic about humanity's capacity for progress. There are gradual advancements in civil rights, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and gender equality as testament to society's evolving attitudes. While change may be incremental, collective efforts to foster empathy and combat hate are paving the way for a more inclusive and compassionate world.”
Want to know more? Listen to the entire conversation here: