Are anger, discompassion and hatred symptoms of weakness?

[Scott]

Do you think that anger, discompassion and hatred are usually symptoms of weakness? Why or why not?

If you know of any psychological studies into the matter, please post here about them.

Generally speaking, I think that anger, discompassion and hatred are signs of weakness and/or the self-perception of weakness.

Namely, I think people get frustrated by their own weakness, which makes them angry, discompassionate, and hateful and makes them more likely to resort to violence and other primitive and brutish techniques (not as a form of defense but as a means of offensive attack and control). When a person is socially weak, I believe the person will likely compensate by using the brutish techniques associated with anger, discompassion, and hatred.

Additionally, people who believe themselves to be weak will tend to have an inferiority complex, which is notorious for often resulting in excessive aggressiveness as a form of overcompensation, such as in the clichéd case of most schoolyard bullies.

In another example, consider the crazy "school shooters" who go to schools to shoot wildly at their classmates and usually kill themselves. Wouldn't you say that that extreme example of vengeful anger, discompassion, and hatred is a sign of severe weakness and the pathological self-perception of weakness.

In another example, if you back an animal into a corner, making it feel scared and weak, it will lash out violently and erratically, which in humans would be called anger, discompassion, or hatred.

In contrast, wouldn't you say that compassion is generally a sign of strength and clearheadedness? I would. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the strongest historical figures I can think of, and I believe he is a great example of how genuine strength enables a person to act on their love and to influence society without resorting to the destructive use of offensive violence and judgmental vengeance associated with anger, discompassion and hatred?

What do you think?
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[MarkE]

You're right on several accounts. Of course there are always variables and exceptions involved. Like your thoughts about Martin Luther King. He was important, much more important than Malcolm X i'd say.

Sometimes compassion is called for, no doubt. But that's not always the case.

If you back a human into a corner, threatened with death - most likely the human will do the same thing. That is its only chance at survival. If the human responds to being backed into a corner and hopes the attacker is compassionate - it would undoubtedly die. It's a great analogy, but it can be looked at from both perspectives.

I know i seem cold-hearted by saying sometimes you just have to be aggressive to be strong. But the Alpha Males in all of nature do the same thing. That's why they're the leaders.

my argument is simply that you need a balance of both.

[ape]

SCOTT:Do you think that anger, discompassion and hatred are usually symptoms of weakness? Why or why not?
APE: Only Hatred, and discompassion as it means Hatred, are symptoms of the real weakness.
Since Hatred hates itself as weak, it re-weakens or re-undermines itself, then tries to over-compensate by being strong all the time--in Hate of bullies. So Hate is in a no-win situation, and confers that attribute to all other words such as anger: Hate of anger leads to being angry in Hate.MT 5:21-22.
Love of anger leads to being angry in Love and so sinning not. EPHES 4:26.
SCOTT: Generally speaking, I think that anger, discompassion and hatred are signs of weakness and/or the self-perception of weakness.
Namely, I think people get frustrated by their own weakness, which makes them angry, discompassionate, and hateful and makes them more likely to resort to violence and other primitive and brutish techniques (not as a form of defense but as a means of offensive attack and control). When a person is socially weak, I believe the person will likely compensate by using the brutish techniques associated with anger, discompassion, and hatred.
APE: Right, and in Hate of being a brute and bully!
SCOTT: Additionally, people who believe themselves to be weak will tend to have an inferiority complex, which is notorious for often resulting in excessive aggressiveness as a form of overcompensation, such as in the clichéd case of most schoolyard bullies.
ape: Exactly. An inferiority complex being a compound of Hate for any one or thing that is inferior as all else, everything being inferior in some way, by persons who have discovered that they are weak.
SCOTT: In another example, consider the crazy "school shooters" who go to schools to shoot wildly at their classmates and usually kill themselves. Wouldn't you say that that extreme example of vengeful anger, discompassion, and hatred is a sign of severe weakness and the pathological self-perception of weakness.
APE: Xlnt! To hate self is to be psycho-spiritually sick.
SCOTT: In another example, if you back an animal into a corner, making it feel scared and weak, it will lash out violently and erratically, which in humans would be called anger, discompassion, or hatred.
APE: Exactly.
SCOTT: In contrast, wouldn't you say that compassion is generally a sign of strength and clearheadedness? I would.
APE: Yes, but Love looks weak and dumb and confused: so Lovers solve that problem by loving themselves as both weak & strong, dumb & smart, fused & confused.
SCOTT: Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the strongest historical figures I can think of, and I believe he is a great example of how genuine strength enables a person to act on their love and to influence society without resorting to the destructive use of offensive violence and judgmental vengeance associated with anger, discompassion and hatred?
APE: MLK did have most of Love down pat, but missed out on Love for fighting and violence, which lack caused the very excess violence he did not want, since he cd never say the words: I love myself as a racist or as a fighter or as white or as who/whatever. In that Love, he cd have fought in Love while also loving peaceful methods, OR in Love of fighting fight NOT, and teach people like Malcolm X that how to fight was in Love of Haters or fighters or whoever!

[tmv]

I'd have to agree with you. I'd say that anger and what not in most typical cases are caused by insecurity which would lead back to weakness, or at least a self perceived weakness.

I wouldn't say this is true in every case. There is most certainly anger and agressiveness that is a result of compassion.

[ontologic_conceptualist]

[Belinda]

Yes I would.Compassion and ability to control anger are signs of emotional health. Nobody is emotionally flat so we all at times, unless we've been lobotomised ,feel fear and related feelings instead of love and related feelings .

[ape]

Hi Belinda,

Compassion for all is the emotional health which gives us its health and ability to control and moderate anger and all emotions, and which control can be taken as further signs of emotional health.

So when we have lobotomised Hatred for any words or had a Heart of Hate Transplant, we all at all times and at the right times have that newly implanted and new plant of the Heart of Love for all words and so feel fear in Love,Prov 1:7, and anger in Love, Eph 4:26, and speak the truth in Love, Eph 1:15, and feel all other related feelings in Love, 1 Cor 16:14, in the right amount and with the right person a la Aristote, instead of ever feeling any Hate with any other feelings ever again.

Here is fear in Love:
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.