Why do people hate?

People develop extreme views towards different groups in society for different reasons.

People take on the views of those around them

If someone has grown up with family or friends that express hateful opinions, they may take on those views themselves.

An experience of being ‘wronged’

Many people have had troubled pasts, or negative experiences such as being bullied at school or treated badly by an authority figure. This can lead to anger and hatred.

Negative experience by someone from a different background

A childhood trauma or bad experience with someone from a particular community or group can lead to hate. A person with negative life experiences can mistrust others and treat them in negative ways.

Lack of exposure to people from different backgrounds

People often fear situations or people they are unfamiliar with. If someone has grown up only spending time with people like themselves, it might lead to them believing that their group is better than anyone else.

Not having a sense of belonging in the world

Some people who act and speak hatefully live with a sense of alienation. They may feel rejected by their family, classmates or society. Often hate is a secondary emotion. A hater’s primary emotion could be anxiety, fear or hurt but this might be an uncomfortable emotion to feel and demonstrate.

Low feelings of self-worth

Often people who act hatefully have low self-esteem or feel worthless. This can lead to them seeking out situations where they feel empowered. Part of feeling empowered might be taking out their feelings on other people or blaming others.

Are trolls haters?

Trolls harass people online and may use hate speech, but they don’t always do it for the same reason as haters. Trolls often don’t have firmly held beliefs on topics but instead post comments they know will provoke people to get a reaction. Sometimes people feel they can get away with doing or saying things online that they would never do or say to someone’s face.