Friday, January 3, 2025

Anchoring to Hate and Poor Values (Dehumanization Thought Experiment)

Imagine if you were the victim of hate-based behaviors and those who engaged in such activities were rewarded for inappropriate actions. Most of us would be horrified by the idea and would encourage greater protections for victims. Let us explore a hypothetical philosophical example of in and out-group members to see if we can learn about the risk and solutions to hate. 

The Thought Example: 

You are an out-group member and people have exploited hate to harm you or others. There was clear misinformation and falsities that led to greater mistreatment that included group bullying and misuse of official positions for self-gain. Investigations found that there was corruption involved, and extremism were present in a way that created serious threats toward targets. Victims were forced to accept the outcomes of extreme prejudice because of convenience and lack of commitment to higher ideals (It’s not necessarily true but only an example for learning).

How Does Anchoring Impact Hate Thoughts?

One of the key issues of root hate assumptions is how it acts as an anchor that each new thought about a target is evaluated against. Thus, it warps all other thoughts about others i.e. out-groups. For example, two people of which one believes all people different than them are lower in status and should not be included in the same society. The other believes that race and religion don’t matter and that measures are on character and beliefs in core societal values.

The first type of person are entitled and only those who look like them or worship like them are worthy of fair treatment (nationalist perspective). The other has just as long of a history and served their nation many times over and feels that one's value is not based in a specific religion or race (a patriot). There is very short lens based in anchored symbolism and a wide lens based in root principles.

When your anchor is wrong and misguided it warps all the decision making thereafter. That can occur among groups if misguided (intentionally or accidently) authority figures intentionally warp laws to ensure their world view is dominant. Yet that is against the very core laws, values and rules. Such people put others at risk for being more patriotic and loyal than themselves. (We would have to read the Constitution and generally about freedoms to accurately differentiate the two.)

You can view the morality and hate research. Keep in mind the concept of "moral conscious" that has been an ongoing theme. 

The psychology of hate: Moral concerns differentiate hate from dislike.


Pretus, C. et. al. (March 2023). The psychology of hate: Moral concerns differentiate hate from dislike. European Journal of Social Psychology, 53 (2) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejsp.2906




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