The Strong Appeal of Destructive Behavior

I can feel this appeal personally, as can most of my family. We nave been treated badly, so why not treat others badly, just to get even?

Once we put it that way, it rapidly loses its appeal, so it has to be denied. But the simple mechanism of denial makes it even stronger.

This is true of many negative emotions: they are mutually reinforcing. And taken as a whole - very satisfying.

And once it becomes global, it cannot be stopped.

This is not a cheerful thought, but one that must be faced. And faced consciously. We cannot save the world, and it cannot save us.