Why do we say mean things to the ones we love?
According to Brené Brown’s infamous Ted Talk, shame is “the fear of disconnection”. People who carry a lot of shame think they are “unworthy of love and connection”. So, when we lash out at the people we love, it’s because we fear disconnection. The more shame we carry around with us, the worse our behaviour is.
Do psychopaths take pleasure in hurting others?
Unlike sadists, psychopaths don’t harm the harmless simply because they get pleasure from it (though they may). Psychopaths want things. If harming others helps them get what they want, so be it. They can act this way because they are less likely to feel pity or remorse or fear.
Why do people hurt other people?
People may hurt others precisely because they recognise them as human beings who don’t want to suffer pain, humiliation or degradation. For example, the Nazi Party dehumanised Jewish people by calling them vermin and lice.
What makes us cruel to other people?
Fear and dehumanisation. Sadism involves enjoying another person’s humiliation and hurt. Yet it is often said that dehumanising people is what allows us to be cruel. Potential victims are labelled as dogs, lice or cockroaches, allegedly making it easier for others to hurt them. There is something to this.
Why do people harm the harmless?
For most of us, hurting others causes us to feel their pain. And we don’t like this feeling. This suggests two reasons people may harm the harmless – either they don’t feel the others’ pain or they enjoy feeling the others’ pain. Another reason people harm the harmless is because they nonetheless see a threat.
What do you call a person who enjoys hurting others?
Sadists and psychopaths Someone who gets pleasure from hurting or humiliating others is a sadist. Sadists feel other people’s pain more than is normal. And they enjoy it.