The Hate-Violence-Hate Cycle
by Dr. Anthony J. Marsella
Hate begets violence begets hate! An endless descent into destruction, all under the guise of justification.
The hate-violence-hate cycle is hard wired and soft wired; but it is wired, and becomes reflexive.
How do we stop it? Ask: Do we have a right to hate? Is hate a privilege? Is hate a choice?
If it is a choice, then what sustains and promotes it, nurturing it in an endless cycle of violence, stoking its increase and generalization.
No mysteries here? Why all the bewilderment?
We use the word hate with impunity, hating anything we wish as if it is good to hate. And when it becomes generalized, we fail to stop it. We enjoy hating!
Consider the endless targets now popular: I hate broccoli; I hate the New York Yankees; I hate ….. Name your hates! It is a pernicious pleasure to hate. It establishes presence, it confirms identity, it asserts distinction.
Orlando was not the largest killing of innocent people, only seeking to live free of hate and violence.
Why are we surprised?
Did we forget Wounded Knee, or a thousand others places and times?
Let us not forget all those instances of aggression by our leaders. But let us all remember that there are alternatives. Peruse the chart below for some inspiration on socializing a culture of peace. Let’s do less hating and more loving right now, right here at home.
Anthony Marsella, Ph.D., a member of the TRANSCEND Network, is a past president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, and past director of the World Health Organization Psychiatric Research Center in Honolulu. He is known nationally and internationally as a pioneer figure in the study of culture and psychopathology who challenged the ethnocentrism and racial biases of many assumptions, theories, and practices in psychology and psychiatry. In more recent years, he has been writing and lecturing on peace and social justice. He has published 15 edited books, and more than 250 articles, chapters, book reviews, and popular pieces. He can be reached at marsella@hawaii.edu.