Why are some people filled with mindless hatred?

[Ned]

They froth at the mouth, they spew out insults, obscenities, as many foul words as they can jam into a sentence, and all this without using a single argument or to intelligently reply to those already presented to them.

It is simple, mindless hatred, without a scrap of rational thought behind it.

I always find this spectacle disturbing because I like to understand things and this is beyond me.

Can anyone explain to me what makes people like this tick?

What happened to their reasoning brain?

[duszek]

It´s a challenge, Ned.

If we do not feel up to the challenge (because of the weather or for other reasons) we can skip the posts of posters who have annoyed us before and pick those who we trust.

On another forum an obnoxious guy was persecuting me and skipping his posts did not work. So finally I tried several things out and finally I picked the right thing to arrange myself with him. I pretended to be friendly and stretched my hand to him. He accepted immediately.

Why some people are like this ?
We can try to be psychoanalysts: did you have an unhappy childhood ? is your situation hopeless beyond repair ? are you suffering from a lethal disease ? are you at a difficult age ?

Aggression has a meaning and a cause.
These people are authentic material if you wish to study the ugly face of human nature.

[Ned]

duszek, thank you for the thoughtful answer.

My defense is the ignore list: at the first sign of malice I immediately sequester them in it. But, even though I don't see what they have written any more, but I still see that they are posting and following me around wherever I go. Sometime, someone I read quotes something they have written and it always turns my stomach.

Just take a look at the first post following my OP on the vegetarian thread. I presented my case in a clear, logical way, explaining my reasons, not attacking anyone, presenting many arguments that could have been considered and responded to.

You know what I mean.

So, most of the time I just ignore them and keep on trucking, but sometime I wonder what makes them tick, what happened to their brain?

[duszek]

If you are not logged in then you can see all posts, so this ignoring option is not working completely.

People who provoke need lots of attention and they try to extort emotions, preferably anger.

In real life we also meet such people. They are "friendly" in an infuriating way. Some Americans call such people "yankers".
We need to find an anti-dotum and to stay calm and indifferent.

[Ned]

If you are not logged in then you can see all posts, so this ignoring option is not working completely.

I always log in before I look at anything -- precisely so I wouldn't see the malignant posts.

It works for me and most of the time I don't even notice that they posted again.

However, sometime I wonder.

I thought of trying to reason with some of them, but I always give up the idea: you cannot reason with that level a irrational malice.

Ignore it is the only solution I have ever found.

However, it would be nice to know how to help people like that to emerge from the dark labyrinths of their minds to the bright light of reason and benevolence.

[thedoc]

Ned, I've been on a number of forums, and I assume you have as well, and I have always found some people who were willing to have a civil dialogue, and some who just wanted to start a fight. I would guess that you have found the same, and I agree, why do they do it? One point I think I can see about your OP on the vegetarian thread is that you brought in the detail about cruelty to animals, and that is a hot button issue to some. I will have to say that I also oppose the mistreatment of animals used for food, but I believe that is not universal in the meat industry. There are some establishments where the animals are treated well when alive and when slaughtered, it is done as quickly and painlessly as economically possible. These are the businesses we try to patronize, if there is a reasonable way to find that information.

[thedoc]

However, it would be nice to know how to help people like that to emerge from the dark labyrinths of their minds to the bright light of reason and benevolence.

When you are trying to deal with the kind of people you are referring to in the op, this is the kind of post that will set them off. There is an air of superiority, as if your ideology is superior and more advanced that theirs. It's a kind of put-down that really gets to these people.

[Ned]

doc, I understand your point about cruelty to animals being a hot issue.

Many meat eaters will consider mentioning this fact as an accusation and go on the defensive.

However, I presented a LOT more arguments, besides the ethical one and those were good arguments.

Still, no amount of defensiveness can justify mindless hatred that is exhibited by many.

Is there any way to get through to them, or it is completely hopeless?

I have always been a lousy psychiatrist -- I do have difficulty understanding people.

Quantum Chromodynamics is easy in comparison!

[Wyman]

I treat them as if they were young children. Without exception, they have inferiority issues. They will always attack you and then brag about something or other, but they will never state a positive opinion for fear someone will criticize it; they stick to the negative. One brags about translating Nietzsche but won't say anything substantive about his ideas other than that he hates them. Another will endlessly spew vitriol about the U.S. but is afraid to tell anyone where she is from. And Bob is just a troll, trying to get rises out of people for fun. Hex makes some good points sometimes, but he has a language problem - he apparently learned his English from watching old clips of Sam Kinison's profanity laced stand-up rants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj5k6toS7i8

[vegetariantaxidermy]

I treat them as if they were young children. Without exception, they have inferiority issues. They will always attack you and then brag about something or other, but they will never state a positive opinion for fear someone will criticize it; they stick to the negative. One brags about translating Nietzsche but won't say anything substantive about his ideas other than that he hates them. Another will endlessly spew vitriol about the U.S. but is afraid to tell anyone where she is from. And Bob is just a troll, trying to get rises out of people for fun. Hex makes some good points sometimes, but he has a language problem - he apparently learned his English from watching old clips of Sam Kinison's profanity laced stand-up rants.

Not 'afraid', it's just none of your business. Unfortunately for you everything I say about the US is true, and you can't argue with the truth. Any normal, thinking person who is anti-war would despise the US. There's nothing 'mindless' about it. It's a bully, and bullies deserve ridicule.

[Ned]

I know I have posted this elsewhere, but it is highly relevant in this thread as one possible explanation:

Rudeness

I often wonder what’s in it for them:
the rude ones who like to hurt
and offend others
who never did them any harm?

Sometimes I think they must be downtrodden
in their own lives and try to compensate,
hoping to feel bigger by putting us down
as if malice would elevate
their stature in the world
instead of turning them into a clown.

And then there is the hunt of the pack,
when some of them get together
and strive to outdo each other,
see who could be more vicious and vile,
and they don’t notice that while
they are being mean, rude and so very important,
they are unaware, stupid, and shockingly ignorant.

[David Handeye]

so, continue your defense with the ignore list. You'll remain with your two or three obliging pals.
Ignore list should be cancelled on any forum, because the more fuckyou you get the more you grow up. Unless you believe to know already everything and to have nothing else to learn.

[Philosophy Explorer]

They froth at the mouth, they spew out insults, obscenities, as many foul words as they can jam into a sentence, and all this without using a single argument or to intelligently reply to those already presented to them.

It is simple, mindless hatred, without a scrap of rational thought behind it.

I always find this spectacle disturbing because I like to understand things and this is beyond me.

Can anyone explain to me what makes people like this tick?

What happened to their reasoning brain?

Why? It makes them feel good.

I regard it as part of evolutionary competition whereby someone feels superior to another whether it be by civil debate or by putting down another (overlooking that their own status may go down in the eyes of others because they couldn't put up a good argument)

PhilX

[Ned]

so, continue your defense with the ignore list. You'll remain with your two or three obliging pals.
Ignore list should be cancelled on any forum, because the more fuckyou you get the more you grow up. Unless you believe to know already everything and to have nothing else to learn.

At the age of 72 I consider myself as grown up as I will ever be.

Time is too short to waste on malicious idiots. I don't need to start a psychological study of warped minds.

That does not mean that I know everything -- far from it.

If I end up with one or two intelligent, civil, debaters, who will give me a good argument, listen and talk, answer arguments with arguments, then I am enjoying the forum. If none remains after I put all the others in the ignore list, then it is time to find another forum.

[David Handeye]

so, continue your defense with the ignore list. You'll remain with your two or three obliging pals.
Ignore list should be cancelled on any forum, because the more fuckyou you get the more you grow up. Unless you believe to know already everything and to have nothing else to learn.

At the age of 72 I consider myself as grown up as I will ever be.

Time is too short to waste on malicious idiots. I don't need to start a psychological study of warped minds.

That does not mean that I know everything -- far from it.

If I end up with one or two intelligent, civil, debaters, who will give me a good argument, listen and talk, answer arguments with arguments, then I am enjoying the forum. If none remains after I put all the others in the ignore list, then it is time to find another forum.

wow, I thought to be an ignorant listed
But, listen, you are not grown up, you look like those capricious children kicking and screaming to get attention