Quote:
|
Originally Posted by GenuineRisk
I think (if I may be once again permitted to push my nerd glasses up on my nose) that it's not so much human nature to hate and judge as it is human nature to fear what we don't understand. Which I think is much bigger than a human nature thing; I think it's a survival mechanism for most living things capable of fear-- how often do we see horses freak out at something new? It's an excellent survival tactic in the wild, but in our civilized world, I think it gets turned into anger and violence.
I had a very different opinion on homosexuality as an 18-year-old college freshman than I did as a 19-year-old college sophomore. And what changed me was watching an extraordinary, amazing college professor die of AIDS over that year (this was a few years before the pro-tease inhibitors came on the market) and having a classmate who was gay and willing to answer any and all question I could think of to ask him about himself. I got past the fear of the unknown and so moved to a point where I could never see someone else's orientation as a reason for hatred.
On the other hand, you have my uncle, who on some level, I think is so unwilling to risk having his mind changed that he won't even watch Ellen DeGeneres' talk show. I think that is the fear instinct, coupled with a drive to protect oneself, taken to the unfortunate end in a civilized society.
The difference between us and most animals (primates are awfully bright), though, is that we can ask ourselves why we hate something; why it provokes an emotional reaction in us. Because it's bad or because it's different? And we can choose to go out and talk to people who have different opinions and maybe make a fuller, more informed decision about what deserves to be hated and what needs us to understand. But it's hard. Fear is hard-wired into us, so it's tough to work past it. But animals do it all the time (here I think of BuffyM's Buck and the scary bush) and so can we.
Which is why I love this board. It's also human nature to cluster into groups that are like us, and not venture out and look at anything different. Survival, in a more primitive time. But not now. But see? Look at all of us! The only thing we all absolutely have in common is that we love horse racing. The rest we'll discuss and hash out and argue but not resort to hate. Hey! The way to world peace is through Derby Trail! I knew it!
|
GR,
Interesting that you see "fear" as a reaction to threat.
Have a look at this link and see how it plays against "safety".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%...archy_of_needs
Perhaps, "hate" fits somewhere else in Maslow's pyramid as an oppositional motivation as well. Trigger-response "stuff". I have been looking for causal factors, but honestly, still have a problem with the motivation for it.