How People Become Emotionally Invested in Hate
Political and religious hatreds may persist over centuries and can seem immutable even as all else changes. Factional hatred has a powerful emotional hold over us even though it hurts us practically, psychologically, and somatically.
The origins of tribalism are mysterious. It may not be a pan-human trait as evolutionary psychologists sometimes claim. Hunter-gatherers were remarkably peaceful and there is no archaeological evidence for warfare prior to settled agriculture.
Even if marked group hostility is comparatively recent, there is no doubt that farming communities often went to war over fertile land. Warfare became even more intense in complex societies where neighboring tribes fought for control over cities and the treasures they contained.
Whatever its origins, group hostility is a common feature of human social behavior that plays out in bitter antagonisms among kin groups, tribes, religions, and even sports teams.
Group affiliations are two-faced: In the plus column, they provide an important sense of belonging that improves our psychological and physical well-being. In the negative column, they may create social friction that compromises our health and happiness.
Hostility carries a steep health cost; hostile........
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