The pointlessness of hate

[heidi]

I don't get it. I don't get why people spend any energy on actively hating other people. Doesn't it give you a headache? Doesn't it feel unproductive? Yes, I know the silliness of the list line, given that it's not especially productive to, say, write fanfic, in comparison to, say, curing cancer, but at least it's not a time- and mood-suck on top of being a less productive activity than others.

Have any of the people posting on the OH I JUST HATE... threads today seen a newspaper this week? Did you look at the photos of what happened in Iraq, where four men were in a car that was raked with gunfire and set ablaze, where their bodies were mutilated and strung up on a bridge, and where teenagers and grown men alike posted in front of the bodies and cheered and clapped and were so jubilaint in their hate.

Now, there is a pretty huge difference between killing people who you believe to be spies, or occupiers or instruments of Satan and posting anonymously on the internet, proclaiming your hatred of someone else, for whatever reason. And I'm not going to be a Pollyanna here and say that I absolutely love (and <3, for those of you who really hate the <3 combo)) everyone within the HP fandom, everyone on the internet, everyone in the world. I don't. And when my sites or my friends have been attacked (and I don't mean with mean words, I mean by password theft, fraudulent reports to ISPs and out and out hacking) I have certainly gone in blazing, but I don't understand the whole concept of having such a burning, perpetual hatred for someone who hasn't done anything that's as bad as that.

Seriously, are there people in this world who are so consumed with bile about the <3? Or about anything else that isn't a direct threat to your health/safety/welfare? Hate rape. Hate hunger. Hate people who are gung ho about the concept of separate but equal. And then do something about it.

I mean, I hate George W. Bush's advisors (I only pity Dubya hinself, because I think he's too darned stupid to realise that he's been lied to, misled and manipulated) and I think that they, and the President who employs them, should be tossed out of office in November, if not sooner. So I'm doing something about it; I'm supporting the Kerry campaign.

But seriously, why hate ordinary people, or even (IYHO) extraordinary people? How are they a threat to your health/safety/welfare? Why do you waste your time on (major exageration of the concept here) metaphorically gunning them down, stringing up their charred bodies, and laughing and cheering in front of their corpses?

What on earth do you get out of it?

Comments

[effervescent.livejournal.com]

So very, very, very well said, Heidi. It seems as though hating things has become a sort of 'cool' thing to do, and I don't understand it.

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

word! it's rediculous. it's time and energy wastign and well...you said it much better than I could.

[tempestus.livejournal.com]

Excellent post, and very well said. I ponder the same question. What could they possibly get out of it?

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

I believe this last round of wanking gives new definition to the word SCUMBAG - (noun), someone who posts an anonymous hate-mongering slam on LiveJournal.

PFFFFFFFFFFFT.

[harlequincy.livejournal.com]

*loves*

[pinguthegreek.livejournal.com]

I think it's an immaturity thing. Let's just be glad not to need to jump on this bandwagon.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

My favourite bit is that they're hating people for being, you know...nice.

Oh, the horror.

*Fwaps them all*

[effervescent.livejournal.com]

That was the thing that made me boggle and be disgusted the most, I think. What, being nice is such a crime, now? *shakes head*

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

*snicker* I know.

Yes, Heidi, that daylight savings reminder was totally out of line. Really makes the blood boil.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Wibble, I only posted that because my mum used to work for Tourneau and that was their pr thing twice a year-fix the clock & check your smoke detector!

What?

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

I'm so...
Nice?
I'm not good, I'm not bad, I'm just nice?
You're not good. You're not right.
I'm the witch!



La!

Re: What?

[dreamcoat-mom.livejournal.com]

LOVED the "Into the Woods" reference - I thought I was the only other person on the planet who loves that show. Popping in from psychic_serpent's friends list to say hello. We were introduced briefly at Nimbus, but you were just a wee bit busy! If it's alright with you, I'd like to add you to my friends list, since you always have something intelligent, insightful and kind to say, even when people are being completely out of control. Thanks for being such a wise and yes...nice presence in the fandom.

Re: What?

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Anyone whose LJ name is inspired by one of my favorite shows in life *and* who quotes said show on her LJ gets friended by me.

La. And welcome!

[irinaauthor.livejournal.com]

Word.

[no-remorse.livejournal.com]

You know I could say "Word" and waste LJ bandwidth, but you asked:

What on earth do you get out of it?

What does PoAmovie!Hermione gets out of punching Draco that makes her say: "That felt good"? What does Book!Hermione gets out of slapping Draco? What does Harry get out of saying that the "a bit further" in his dream was Ron reaching for the quaffle?

I don't think that fandom is so different to any other kind of social interaction and therefore I don't expect people to be nicer than they are in real life. And as most people are not Gandhi, fandom equals wank and disliking other fans. Hell is other people - and not surprisingly so is fandom.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

But Hermione's actions were anger-of-the-moment (and in the bok, they were also at the culmination of a horrible day where Draco's actions were posing a risk to something she cared about - Buckbeak. I understand the anger of the moment. What I don't get is having that burning, churning, angry hatred - and having it such that it does not stop, so you're perpetually hating someone or something.

[no-remorse.livejournal.com]

I don't think that many people are perpetually hating anything. They get pissed off, lash out and forget about it. Maybe I am naive to believe that most of the wank is anger-of-the-moment stuff, instead of real grudges and hate, which seem to be much more of a rarity in fandom. (But people surprise me sometimes with the longevity of their grudges.)

[casira.livejournal.com]

I think Penny Arcade (http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-03-19&res=l) pretty much says it all, as far as the thread I know you're referring to goes. (a_quick_one sent me the link. Language warning if it bugs you, but I doubt it. :)

[sinisteral.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you about the Hate Thread etc. People just can't find anything productive to do. That doesn't mean they should go hating on other people.

[melieltathariel.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Anger is fine. Dislike is fine. Even complaining is fine up to a certain degree. But hate should be reserved for a select few things.

[ashkitty.livejournal.com]

I know. I just don't get it. :(

[hermorrine.livejournal.com]

I cannot agree more.

[1anonymous1.livejournal.com]

I think...this will sound stupid, but I always explain hate in Yodas words:"Fear leads to anger, etc." I know its not as simple as that, but I think thats the base of it.

heidi8 is so very awesome. She'd help me out if she could,and she doesnt even know me that well. Shes dedicated to her work and her family, and even her friends. I respect her a lot.

[noblerot.livejournal.com]

To paraphrase Thoreau, the mass of (wo)men lead lives of quiet frustration. Frustration engenders anger, and the result is a lot of people stumbling around broiling with rage with no outlet in sight. They're disappointed with their jobs, their friends, their lovers, their government. They simmer and simmer, but they can't explode without having the bile fly back into their faces.

Enter an LJ thread inviting all to vent anonymously. Never mind that in many cases those being dissed aren't the people the posters are really pissed at. They're just easy and vulnerable targets, and the Internet is a big, blank shooting range.

Feh.

[hedwig-snowy.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is nice to be oblivious about these things as I barely register on the fringe of what you all like to call the 'fandom'. There's does seem to be a great deal of bickering. I haven't read the thread and have no intention of doing so. I am happily naive about the inner workings, delusions of grandeur, and psychiatric needs of some of the people who follow a beloved book character so closely that they feel the need to do such things. Maybe it's the anonymity of the internet, even in a group as close as the 'fandom', that makes people believe that they can behave this way. My concept: If you wouldn't say it to a person's face, have the brains to keep it to yourself. Spouting on LJ about people you've never met is cowardly. (Wait...did I just spout? :-) )

I wholeheartedly agree with your concept of 'Why Hate?'
I truly have only ever hated one person and that was Tommy LaSorda. Hey, I'm a Giants fan, it's genetic. :-)

I don't HATE Bush, I hate Bush. Difference?

HATE him = want him dead
hate him = wish he'd never been born

Completely different.... :-)

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

It's just a bunch of people getting a kick out of saying nasty things knowing they can't be caught.

It's sadly part of human nature. Remove all accountability and we'll kill each other, so the ability to spew hate is no great surprise. And no one has ever needed a good reason to hate another person. History shows us that.

Not that I really know what's going on. I've yet to get up the courage to look. I was dealing with another troll ^^;;

[ozratbag2.livejournal.com]

Just think how much more productive people would be if the time they spent hating anything and everything was spent doing some small kindness to someone somewhere.

I've just had a look at the fandom hate thing - I couldn't get thru all of it.

I'm disgusted to think that these people cannot think of a more constructive way to spend their time, so they choose to do so in a destructive way.

Rather indicative of the mess the world is in, isn't it?

For my part Heidi - targetting someone anonymously because they are one of lifes treasures is poor thanks in any language.

A

[sheryll.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any of the stuff you're referring to and it's unlikely I'll go look for it. I think you've said what's important.

We don't have to like everyone, but to *hate* them? Nope. Hate should be reserved for injustices, the big stuff.

You and I have had our differences. Some of which even seemed like very big differences at the time. Would I hate you for it? Definitely not. Differences are what make people interesting, worth getting to know.

[dragongirlg.livejournal.com]

Well said.

[marzipansprite.livejournal.com]

I agree, that was a powerful post. The references are particularly meaningful to me, my dad is out in Iraq at the moment, Baghdad in fact, he's a British Brigadier and in charge of recruiting and training the new Iraqi army. He was less than a mile away from those innocent victims, and he's dealing with the aftermath. What he is facing is hate; real, cruel and heartless hate, and these 'hate' threads are hardly comparable. But most of all, why would the people on these threads want to be comparable? That's what scares and sickens me the most.
~Marz xx