Explain Your Beliefs About Why Humans Are Either Attracted to or Avoid Cruelty Towards Others
Cruelty towards others is often frowned upon by the modern society, and the default expectation of every person is to avoid inflicting acts of cruelty on others. This, however, has not always been the case in the course of human history. This can be proved by the many wars, executions and punishments that have been inflicted by humans upon others, all this being fully endorsed by the society at the time. This can be well explained by the punishments that were inflicted by the church on persons accused of being witches or involving themselves with heresy. Despite the negative connotations that cruelty has been given in the present age, there are some people that seem drawn to it (Luna, 2017). This happens even when they are the ones on the receiving end. An explanation for this is that it makes the victims feel superior morally, as they perceive themselves as not capable of inflicting such damage to others (Luna, 2017). It makes them feel more human that the persons that are inflicting suffering on them or others and as a result, plays a part in inflating their egos. This can be one of the explanations behind the attraction of cruelty to some people.
There is a common complaint in dating circles regarding the way women are attracted and attached to men that are cruel to them. This is because women have evolved psychologically to only pine after the strongest males in the population. This was important in the past, as only the strong could protect her and her offspring and also provide for her. In the past, strength was best demonstrated in the form of aggressiveness and violence, and it seems that these are the traits that these women tend to look for before getting involved with a potential mate (Barreca, 2012). The modern workplace and society is relatively peaceful compared to the wild where early humans used to reside among other animals. There is little need for the modern man to become violent or aggressive for survival. There are very few men that have those traits, and it is unfortunate that they are the ones that get the attention of most women (Barreca, 2012). The reason why the women in abusive relationships refuse to leave their cruel partners is because at the back of their minds, they feel that it will be a downgrade from an ideal man to a lesser specimen.
Just as there are reasons why people are attracted to cruelty towards others, there are also reasons for the avoidance of cruelty. One of the main reasons why people avoid cruelty is their background (Rose, 2011). If a person was brought up in a loving home with no instances of violence, be it in the form of words or actions, then these persons tend to avoid being cruel and avoid persons that are violent as well (Rose, 2011). There are also other personalities whose avoidance or attraction to cruelty is determined by the circumstances or the environment around them. These are people with a bullying mindset. If they determine that there is no other dominant individual in the vicinity, they tend to become cruel to others. On the other hand, if they sense that they might be overpowered by their opponents, they avoid cruelty altogether.
References
Barreca, G. (2012). Why Do Women Fall for Cruel Men?. Psychology Today. Retrieved 7 August 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/snow-white-doesnt-live-here-anymore/201205/why-do-women-fall-cruel-men
Luna, A. (2017). Why Are People Abusive, Unkind and Malicious? ⋆ LonerWolf. LonerWolf. Retrieved 7 August 2017, from https://lonerwolf.com/why-are-people-abusive/
Rose, M. (2011). What Causes a Person to Be Intentionally Cruel?. LIFE AS A HUMAN. Retrieved 7 August 2017, from https://lifeasahuman.com/2011/mind-spirit/humanity/what-causes-a-person-to-be-intentionally-cruel/