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It is obvious that human beings on many occasions consider others to be inferior, whether this relates to specific individuals, or to groups.

However, it also seems to me that humans very often feel the specific feeling of hate towards people they consider inferior (e.g. disabled people, or specific races during fascism). However, hate doesn't logically follow from a perception of inferiority, since one could also feel empathy or indifferent towards people that one considers inferior.

So my question is: Is there some research that suggests an innate tendency for people to hate those that they consider weak or inferior, and is there some (psychological or evolutionary) explanation for this?

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    $\begingroup$ It's generally pretty difficult to prove innateness re: emotional responding (e.g., there's still no definitive evidence that people are innately fearful of snakes). There's huge variability in how people respond emotionally (as posited by appraisal theory and others), and it's pretty hard to disentangle culture from (hard-wired) biology. In light of all this, it's probably questionable to advance an evolutionary explanation for this kind of characteristic (although culture can certainly be conceptualized as evolutionary). $\endgroup$
    – mrt
    Commented Aug 28, 2016 at 0:03
  • $\begingroup$ Yep. People couch the hate in nice words...but the fact remains humans are the most dishonest of all living things...we just have a way with words that other living creatures struggle to understand. Some have learned to adapt to our presence on this planet better than others though... $\endgroup$
    – Doctor Zhivago
    Commented Aug 28, 2016 at 16:16
  • $\begingroup$ If so then I'm strong exception. I don't like anyone behave inferior/ superior attitude with me. I can't feel the existence of social hierarchy of authority vs submissive positions. I can easily see everyone (whatever a street-mad or university vice chancellor) same with me, and give everyone the proper respect at least ... as possible. P.S. I'm diagnosed with aspergers $\endgroup$
    – user13859
    Commented Oct 22, 2016 at 13:43
  • $\begingroup$ If we consider the question from evolutionary perspective, the simplest suggestion to come to mind is that anyone perceived as weak or inferior, appears as a burden or even danger to the tribe's survival. $\endgroup$
    – drabsv
    Commented Jul 18, 2022 at 7:30
  • $\begingroup$ Related question: psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/26303/… $\endgroup$
    – drabsv
    Commented Jul 18, 2022 at 7:32

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