A unifying factor.

The other day I listened to a podcast that described a very common situation. The movement, or certain schools of thought, do not come together for the common good, or because they share values, but rather because they have found a “demon” to which they devote their time and energy.

While religions typically bring people together through the desire to praise and worship a god or a being, these more organic, non-religious movements end up choosing a common hatred. They come together because they disagree with certain things or certain groups. When this happens, these movements, political forces, or associations have a destructive nature. They aim solely at the elimination of an evil they consider their reason for existence.

And what happens when that evil is eliminated or annihilated? Another “demon” emerges or is evoked, which will rally all efforts to become the focal point of existence for that congregation of people.

These extreme ideologies or over-the-top causes that use hatred to bring people—their supporters or voters—together end up creating a sense of identity in this way, but they also sow the seeds of their own destruction.

People often join movements or parties not only because they believe in a cause, but largely because they feel a void in their own lives. And in this way, that sense of purpose and meaning is provided by the group, and often, someone or something to blame.

I’ve spoken here before about the “scapegoat” (@xrayman/mimetic-behavior" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">link). Hatred becomes a binding agent, much like the mortar between the stones of a wall. And at that point, everything can take on larger and more dangerous proportions. When a movement is built solely on hatred, it needs a constant supply of enemies. If the initial enemy is defeated, there isn’t really a celebration or a party. The movement will find another target. Another purpose. Another source of hatred.

And in a certain sense, it may even turn inward, ultimately singling out members who were once loyal but who “today” are mere traitors.

It enters a vicious cycle of seeking perfect purity, which ultimately shrinks the group and makes it increasingly fueled by hatred. And in this way, the movement achieves nothing.

If the movement spends more time on hatred and identifying enemies, rather than seeking common ground and respect for others, or building something better, it isn’t really a movement. It ends up being a “fuel-hungry machine", and that fuel is people.

^{Image by Frauke Riether from Pixabay Original text written by @xrayman in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)}