Why Do People Hate?

Medicine Net Medical Author: Rohini Radhakrishnan, ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon Medical Reviewer: Shaziya Allarakha, MD. Hate is a feeling of intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or a sense of injury. It is extreme dislike or disgust. Hatred is an emotion. Extreme hatred can inspire violence. Hatred is a feeling everyone has felt and experienced at some point, especially after being betrayed or hurt physically or emotionally by someone. It is normal to have hateful feelings occasionally. However, feeling hatred over a long time and holding on to hate can be detrimental to the mind and body. Hate can breed more negative emotions. It can affect personal and professional relationships. Hatred changes the chemistry in the brain. It stimulates the area in the brain responsible for planning and execution of motion. This part triggers aggressionwhile feeling hateful to either defend or attack. This also creates “fight or flight” responses and increases the levels of two hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can cause weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and chronic illness. Hatred also triggers the mind to try to predict what the person being hated may do as a defense mechanism. This leads to further anxiety, restlessness, obsessive thinking, and paranoia, which affects overall mental health.