Why are the deplorables so prone to mean-spiritedness just for the sake of being mean?

[butdiduvote]

One of the things that have been so upsetting to me about the election result is that the winning side was the side of being cruel for the sake of seeing people hurt. The bullies got the last laugh, and it was the electorate that allowed them to have it. I've heard a number of them justify their "liberals crying" memes with, "They made fun of us and called us deplorables, so now it's our turn," but the thing is, we didn't want our schadenfreude against them solely for the sake of seeing them in pain. We wanted to see them put in their place because they're mean to us. They want to see people weaker than them hurt just because seeing people discriminated against makes them feel good. They showed up at our rallies chanting "Lock her up!" They started physical fights with us. They sent us messages on social media telling us to kill ourselves or similar sentiments, then they continued doing it after they won. They rejoiced over "seeing feminists cry," and why did they want to see feminists cry? Because we advocate for equal rights for people...that's the thing we do that bothers them so much.


I just don't get it. And I hate that this mean-spirited mentality is the one that was allowed to prevail.

[Chiquitita]

1. I think it's an abusive mentality

One that projects one's own fears and self-loathing onto a victim of abuse. Basically, it is a sickness, both mental and of the heart. And unfortunately it is a fruit of America's past: the hypocrisy, genocide, greed, and violence of our collective history.

[Amaryllis]

9. Agree. Same dynamic as domestic abuse or many other kinds of abuse.

[Hortensis]

19. Sorry, but it's far more complex, and for most the OP is wrong.

Just plain wrong.

A lot goes into them, and we just can't get into their heads and "feel" what they do. We are different. But a huge difference that seems "just plain mean" is actually based on gut instinct for what is right and long-inculcated principle.

Research has shown that conservatives tend to believe in a "natural order" in which good behaviors tend to be rewarded and bad behaviors tend to be punished. Some version of this is found in every major religion.

Big government programs that protect people from the consequences of bad behaviors, such as not saving adequately for retirement, are believed ultimately to cause more problems than they solve and lead to the degradation of society.

Of course, conservatives being human, most are lead by lack of insight and/or bigotry into believing, to various degrees, that being poor means those people are proven at least less worthy, and vice versa for the well-to-do. And this does lead to meanness, if not the just-plain sort.

Also of course, people like the anti-tax/anti-government Koch brothers have invested many, many millions to turn what is, in moderation, a viewpoint that provides balance to public policy into an ultrapartisan zealotry. Imo, they have succeeded in turning many conservatives into almost the worst possible versions of themselves, including by also destroying the traditional, "protect-what-is-tried-and-true" form of conservatism that blocks their goals.

Conservatives are not there yet, though, a huge gap between where we are and actual violence. I am afraid trying to justify mass "deportations" will narrow that gap for some. And, of course, here is always a small percentage of any society that has a thirst for brutality and violence, which comes out when societal constraints drop enough. But that's just a boogie for the future.

[lagomorph777]

22. They have gigantic amygdalas, so much fear that they don't give a crap about anybody else.

Morality goes out the window when credulity and fear dominate your teeny little cranium.

[Hortensis]

43. Conservative altruism extends to smaller groups,

more defined segments of humanity, certainly, than liberals'. Some Hispanic black conservatives from the European colonized Caribbean, for instance, may mostly identify and care about Hispanic blacks from some European colonized Caribbean islands, with various degrees of suspicion, and even hostility, toward other people.

But their caring is just as real as anyone else's as far as it goes. And their generosity toward those in their limited group can be very real and very large, a truth disguised by and misunderstood as a result of their resentment of their tax dollars going to outside their area of altruism to all those "others."

But I actually agree that most The Donald voters, under the influence of a shocking level of partisan hostility, have set aside morality, intellect, their own standards of social decency, and even the precepts of their religions to do so. Fear from great changes and uncertainty absolutely contributed to their irrationality, but at this point seems to me just plain hostility has taken over, requiring commitment to a vast body of lies to maintain it.

Btw, liberals and conservatives actually have different conceptions of morality. For conservatives, morals involve protection of the community by supporting what they see as stabilizing and elevating community standards. Thus, the great energy devoted to stamping out coarse language, something that always seemed bizarrely unbalanced to me and still does, but at least I understand that it's not all pure hypocrisy. Or a tendency to rubber-stamp the decision of local authorities to arrest someone regardless of the evidence; they're protecting the system that protects the community.

For liberals, of course, morals mostly arise from the principle that one person's rights stop where another person's nose begins. Authorities not excluded.

[RKP5637]

30. Definitely it is! Well said! Some just love hatred, it's the essence of their being and what

motivates them in life.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It's very puzzling, and it's become worse over the last 20-30 years.

It used to be that you could have a rational discussion with conservatives about the role of government; they used to agree that government had a legitimate role in helping people and there should be some kind of safety net. The debate was mostly about what, exactly, should be covered by the safety net and how much money should be allocated to various programs. Conservatives weren't as generous with funds for social programs as liberals, but they always acknowledged that some social programs were useful and deserved some level of funding.

I don't recall ever seeing such malicious glee over depriving needy people of help from the government. It now seems that the reason for cutting programs isn't so much to save money but because they just enjoy hurting the most powerless.

Christians, my ass.

[Initech]

6. I think AM hate radio has a lot to do with it.

And in the last 5 years or so, hate radio has morphed into conspiracy theory radio. And people like Alex Jones have instructed their followers to harass Sandy Hook victims as if that horrible shooting never happened. And then you had Milo Yiannopulous telling his followers to harass Leslie Jones for her role in Ghostbusters. So add those two things together, and it's a perfect storm waiting to happen.

[Mariana]

8. Yes, the radio show hosts are incredibly nasty

toward anyone who disagrees or whose positions or statements they don't like. Someone who listens to that for hours every day can come to think that's the way normal people behave.

[Amaryllis]

10. That and cable news. We used to all get the same news before the internet.

[CrispyQ]

38. Hate radio.

Back in the eighties, while democrats were running as fast as they could from the word liberal, the right was funding think tanks to get the messaging down & buying all the radio stations to get the message out. There are huge swaths of America where hate radio is all there is to listen to. The dems continue to ignore this issue.

My husband saw a few minutes of a Limbaugh rant & asked why they hate liberals so much. I told him it was code for blacks, Hispanics, gays & women. It's not politically correct to say you hate those groups, but it's okay to say you hate liberals. Or anyone who sympathizes with them.

Malicious glee - you nailed it perfectly.

[musette_sf]

44. You are correct, Crispy.

I recall way back when (20+ years ago), when someone suggested that I listen to Lush Rumballs because "he's right sometimes". And I heard him jovially assert things as "fact" that weren't even remotely true. And I heard him jovially assert things as "general consensus" that were, even at that time, farther over the RWNJ line than the Birchers. As an educated and erudite person who has been politically aware since single-digit years, I of course knew that what I was listening to was pure-D bullshit. But it frightened me to think that people who did not know the facts, or history, would hear this vile spew (offered in the most jovial of tones) without a fact filter.

Evidently this excellent book on this specific phenomenon, The Eliminationists by David Neiwert, is out of print. But it can be had on Kindle for a reasonable price. Highly recommended:

https://www.amazon.com/Eliminationists-Hate-Radicalized-American-Right/dp/0981576982

[JudyM]

39. In my memory it shifted in a big way toward mean-spiritedness as a badge of honor with Gingrich

and Scalia. Mean-spiritedness and utter disregard for principles of ethics, like avoiding impropriety and conflicts of interest. Flagrantly, petulantly spewing hatred and taking whatever they wanted.

[KittyWampus]

3. Authoritarians are into punishment.

[meow2u3]

5. Just so long as the authoritarians themselves aren't being punished.

[Initech]

4. Their leader hasn't told them no.

And he's as despicable as they are, so they think it's a get out of jail free card.

[RickHworth]

7. I believe that has to do with intimidation

of having to interact with those that are of greater and deeper understanding of the world. Adding the reality of not having the ability to comprehend complex issues. This is a source of their anger and the sense that they need to strike out.
I think I cleaned that up enough

[Cirque du So-What]

11. It's a sick manifestation

of their interpretation of masculinity. Manly-men can't go around being nice to people, animals or the environment, yunno.

[raccoon]

16. Right on target!

To them,

Cruelty = strength

Compassion = weakness

[GeoWilliam750]

12. "Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control"

By Kathleen Taylor raises some interesting thoughts. The following excerpts were taken from a section domestic violence, but I think may apply here, as well.

"Roy Baumeister has argued that individuals are much more likely to be violent if they have a high opinion of themselves, and that opinion is threatened, than if they have low self-esteem."

"For people with high self-esteem whose achievements are mediocre, the chances of meeting such an ego threat are great."

"Ego threats, which after all are expressions of alternative ideologies, are minimized as much as possible (demands for purity). Totalist ideology condemns anything other than itself, and an abuser will often load his language with simplistic, pejorative remarks, often based on little actual knowledge, which denigrate not only the victim but her family, friends, background, and opinions."

There is much more, and it is a good read.

[TeamPooka]

13. because they think that's how "winners" act.

[lostnfound]

14. They've been influenced to give up empathy by seeing others as The Other

Their party and sometimes their religion has been teaching them that The Other is dishonest or lazy or sinful.

[JI7]

15. part of it has to do with Trump's own failures

he keeps fucking things up and instead of admitting they were wrong about him they take it out on those who were right about him.

most liberals are posting funny things about him but they respond with "butthurt" and "snowflake" and similar things which actually apply to THEIR reactions to what liberals are doing.

they were hoping Trump would come into office and prove to be some smooth businessman who can make deals easily and get things done and improve things. and they wanted to be able to say to us I TOLD YOU SO. and they are not getting that.

remember after Obama won the liberal reaction to those protesting obama was mostly to make fun of them. like the teabagging thing. it wasn't hateful but funny. they are not able to do that .

[radical noodle]

41. Trump was just speaking for them

This has been going on for some time. Why else would Republicans make laws that explicitly say that the minimum wage cannot be raised in their state or that people must use the bathroom that corresponds with their sex on the birth certificate?

Trump saw those things and knew that his manipulations could work on them and he would gain their votes.

[Dulcinea]

17. Because they assume everyone is just like them.

Greedy, selfish, and terrified of change.

They don't understand why anyone would embrace or at least adapt to change. Change, of course, is inevitable, & they don't want to adapt to a new world or way of thinking. So, they try to drag everyone else down to their level.

[Bettie]

18. Greed

Not always for money, but for things they perceive others to have.

It angers them when people appear to be happy in a way that is different from their lives. They don't like or understand why others "get things" that they don't feel they have, even if they are things they don't want.

They are Aesop's dog in a manger.

They also have a strong feeling that they are "paying for everyone else", even though it isn't really true. They have been convinced (by hate radio, Faux, etc.) that they are being victimized by those who have less than they do, those who are members of unions, those who are not heterosexual and still get to marry, those of other races who have civil rights...the list could go on and on, but they believe that others have things they don't, both tangible and intangible.

Oddly, they tend to hate everyone but the very wealthy, because in their black little hearts, they believe that they would be those very wealthy people if only others did not have "special rights", by which they mean basic human rights.

[Docreed2003]

34. Spot on...

They've been fed lies from RW radio and the pulpit for so many years their world view has been set in this framework. It boils down to greed, as you say. They view themselves as victims and oppressed and so any opportunity they have to lash out and exert supermacy is taken by them and justified through their mentality. They are too indoctrinated to realize they are being played like a pawn by the powers that be on the right.

[leftyladyfrommo]

20. Revenge! That is what I read in all the comments.

But I am not sure why. Revenge against the elites.

They feel persecuted. I think they really just feel like an underclass and they want to get even.

[RadiationTherapy]

36. I am working on a paper now called "The Age of Revenge Politics"

While it seems to be only a part of the current confrontational atmosphere, I absolutely agree that revenge is at the heart of many of conservatives' actions in the past few decades.

[Javaman]

21. there are two types of people in the world...

those who own their own mistakes and those who don't.

those who do, suck it up and deal with their fuck ups and learn a lesson.

those who don't, blame anything and everything for life being "unfair"

the repukes are the latter.

[Dulcinea]

24. Yep.

It's so much easier to play the victim than take charge of your own life.

[NotThisTime]

23. Because that is WHO they are and Trump told them who HE was, it's that simple.

When someone tells you who they are, believe them.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

26. Amazingly

there are a lot of Trump voters whom are stunned to realize that he actually meant what he said on the campaign trail about things like repealing ACA and are now starting to regret their votes.


People like Caitlyn Jenner also spring to mind when it comes to being upset about his rescinding the Obama Administration guidance on Trans kids and schools even though she probably voted for him.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

25. I know, right

And not only are they mean people, but they aggressively assert their "right" to be abusive, mean, and to "stick it" to people they don't like just because they think that it's their God-given right to do it and that they won't ever be seen "bowing at the altar of political correctness". They are, short, a bunch of punk Rush Limbaugh wannabees whom are nasty as they want to be.

[d_r]

27. My hypothesis is

and I have no way to ever test it, is that when they were babies their mothers fed them on a schedule and did not respond when they cried to be fed.

[kentuck]

28. It's a learned behavior.

Learned from propaganda - like talk radio and FOX News, etc.

[Kimchijeon]

40. Simply put. And accurate.

talk radio, FOX news, internet trolling, etc.

[Dem2]

29. It's in their unpleasant souls:

Conservatism (n.), the irrational fear that somewhere someone you think is inferior is being treated as your equal.

[Lotusflower70]

31. They thrive on it

They are sadistic. They get off on treating people like shit. They see the other as the enemy and cause of their problems and you can't convince them otherwise. They are not rational or logical. There is no empathy or compassion. Anyone that is different than they are is viewed as an obstacle to be eliminated. They want their romanticized version of 1950, all lily white and full of manly men and submissive women. They are threatened by us and how the world has changed.

[Jake Stern]

32. They feel free to unleash their inner demons

in much the same way a nice guy can become a raging asshole when his inhibitions are killed by alcohol.

For the first time in half a century they truly believe they have like minded people in power and so they can now give a big middle finger to everybody they hate without worrying about "PC culture".

[vlyons]

33. They go out the ego door of compensation of cruelty.

In the desire for justice, some people go to the extreme of vengence and act out cruelty to deliver what they think is justice. They feel hurt or slighted in someway and desire to deliver "pay-back." Their perceived hurts and slights are subjective, mostly generated in their own minds. But to them it SEEMS real, and they project onto others motivations that may not even exist.

These are not mindful people. They lack self discipline. They do not see reality as it exists, but see what their minds project outwards. There's not much we can do about them, except maybe to de-escalate situations and calm them down. Remember they lack self control. I try to remind them of the Golden Rule, because everyone knows what that is. It's sometimes difficult to be kind to them, because they are so full of anger, hatred, and vengence. And they have a way of sucking others into their dramas.

[CrispyQ]

35. I have three Trump trolls in my FB collective & the two religious ones are the meanest.

Last edited Mon Feb 27, 2017, 11:58 AM - Edit history (1)

In your face gloating that they won & constant talk of liberal tears & calling us snowflakes & a general gleeful attitude that there is a huge contingent that is concerned about the future. I never felt that way about them when Obama was president. I didn't understand their fear & thought some of fears were outright stupid - like Obama's going to take their guns away - but I was never happy that they were worried/concerned/scared. I just didn't understand where the fear came from. But these guys are happy that we're scared.

I hate that this attitude has prevailed, too. Some of the crimes we're seeing, where the perp taunts the victim, "This is Trumps world now." He has brought out the worst in the worst.

on edit: Lot's of great answers in this thread.

[Aristus]

37. They're chronically angry.

They're angry because being born with white skin didn't automatically grant them everything they wanted. And they think they're being cheated out of whatever that might be by people of color.

Plus, when the good guys abolished slavery, the bad guys had to get up off their lazy white asses and put in an honest day's work for a change. That makes them angry...

[nolabear]

42. The answer lies in every "they."

I know "they" do inexplicable things. I know "they" do horrible things. But from their perspective, no matter what "we" think of them, they are not being seen as the complete people they are even as they objectify "others" and don't see them as the complete people they are.

Believe it or not, there are common threads that underlie us all, having to do with the deep need to be accepted and valued for who we are. The layers built on top of that when we are shamed or vilified are incredibly complex and take Herculean efforts to overcome. The most natural thing is to run to those who look and act the most like you and value them, thereby valuing yourself. We all do it, particularly when we are afraid, exhausted, and our lives' meaning is challenged. It has the power now to destroy us all. And all of us have to reach across in some SAFE way to change it. Emphasis on SAFE, because those layers are dangerous as hell.

[OnionPatch]

45. Because that's partly what makes them conservatives.

A lot of them (I won't say all of them) really just don't have much empathy for other people. Notice how they're always against help for people until they or one of their families needs it? They have a very hard time imagining themselves in someone else's shoes. Those kinds of people are going to naturally be drawn to political groups who are more punitive and authoritarian.

My sister, who is a big believer of reincarnation, says they just aren't as evolved yet. They still have many lives to live and many shoes to try on.