Why do we have the potential to be so mean as humans?

[Nazgol]

Sometimes I am shocked, even by my own when I found myself in situations that I was mean and couldn't stop. I know one reason is because of hurt and needing revenge but in your opinion what drives us to continue and not let it stop?

[VanillaSalt]

Excellent question! I don’t have a solid answer but in my case I have seen the unwarranted cruelty you’ve spoken of. I believe people do it for… attention. Look at me! I am more powerful then you! I am more powerful then him or her! I can successfully and your are not! You cannot control me!


I think people are lacking in affection, love, attention, being desired, feeling appreciated… I’ve done a lot of self-reflection recently and realized that because nobody values are cares for me I return that same feeling back out. How can we expect people whom society has determined to be outcasts to contribute positively to society?


I believe people that feel unappreciated turn this anger outward to show their better then you think and when people don’t try and understand the reason for the outburst they get even more angry and bitter.


To fight this we need to start treating everyone better. Men and women using each other without care. These people will die alone and bitter. Forgiveness is necessary. Even the best of us had dinner trauma that will come out even in ideal situations. Forgiveness should be given so others forgive you when you do it.


Wanna know the really sad truth though? They won’t because even if all the people suffering through this were to live a sad lonely and dead life and die suffering what does this have to do with them? It’s easier to ignore people then to recognize them. And even if suffering comes because you ignore their believe this went effect then.


Will people come to understand you get what you give or will this habit of ignoring other set into everyone or at least the majority to the point most of society suffers? What comes from mass suffering? Nothing good. A breakdown of society. We shouldn’t ignore the suffering of others and we shouldn’t assume ones suffering will never come back into us because it does in the form of unfavorable behavior which also pushes the feelings and thoughts that caused the problem in the first place even further and spreads them like most problems.

[FýrdracaDócincel]

Being a social species tends to come with some weird ramifications.

We instinctively understand that we need each other, but that also means we more readily compete for higher position in the hierarchy so that we can get the most out of the connections we make. It's like being trapped in a toxic relationship.

Contrast this with more solitary animals like cats. They don't need social structures to survive, and so they don't see much reason to fight.. at least not nearly as much reason as we come up with.

[bodiesands]

I know I'm only ever angry when I'm afraid.
I lash out defensively, but it's almost always petty, and pointless.
To defend my pride, or because I got the wrong end of the stick.
I assume the worst in people, and that cynicism leads me to bite back - but I'm almost always shown to be wrong, often within seconds, and my anger was painfully unnecessary both for me and for them.
The fear which drives my cynicism is a result of trauma, and is something I'm doing everything I can to bring myself out of. What a waste of life, and relationships, being angry is.

[NamerOfStars]

Natural selection. All the times when cruelty could profit us, we took. All the times when compassion could profit us, we took- both of them are completely alien to pretty much every other species out there (with that falling away as intelligence increases).

[roy_ricky09]

It is all about the Mindset. I'll try to share it with an example:
Person one: Oh Dmm I was supposed to go to Beach today and its Raining. Urgh!!
Person 2 (Positive mindset): Its alright we can go tomorrow or next weekend.

Holding on your thoughts before spitting out is always helpful.

[Andres77]

Lashing out is a base human response to pain, be it physical or emotional.
It takes self-control and the ability to resist hurting others even though we're hurt ourselves.

[ohshee]

Because it is easy then you think you have to excuse pretty lady what you did that's not true it's hard to walk away it's hard to stay calm but that's who you become it's a choice

[snackthatsmilesback]

Everything has its opposite. If we couldn't be mean, we couldn't be nice. Humans being really fucking evil is still them using their capacity for really fucking good, just backward.

[exitseven]

It is some leftover part of our evolution. We no longer need to kill or be killed in most neighborhoods so humans do mean things to each other.

[NathanDavis]

the wires in our brains get mixed up sometimes...

[fonduegirl]

Aggression seems to be the natural instinct

[Seangreen]

The feeling of power is similar to drigs

[jasco]

Because that's just ho we are

[Pterodon]

The way we’re made