Attack Psychology

In this post I ask, what is it that causes a person to seek to induce injury without just cause? This is a question that is likely interesting to most adults, because we all know of evil happenings in the world. The question has relevance to my Life because, in my interpretation of my experience, I am very often harassed by others - people who have died and who have avoided ascending to Heaven.

There may be many answers, such as 'envy', 'curiosity', 'need', 'drug addiction', even 'justice'.

The very nature of our existence on earth, spiritually speaking, leaves us open to this; it is said that in Heaven we review our lives and feel the effects of our influence on others' emotions - on Earth apparent separateness permits us to be unfeeling more easily. Causing injury can become a form of entertainment through not feeling another's pain directly, where direct empathy would make such actions unbearable.

Secondly, malevolence is simply one person using their power to affect another so that they notice them, or so that the other notices someone else when the malevolent person is undetected. This could be seen as a call for attention, a call to recognise dignity.

One of the most common causes for causing injury without just cause must in fact be a mistaken perception of justice - perhaps prejudice calls for a person to feel it is right to injure another. (And even regular connotations of justice can be seen as unjust when they extend to punishment, if we follow a Christian view - Jesus interceded to prevent the stoning of a woman who had been 'unfaithful' to her husband).

Spirituality can awaken within us a great concern and care for other living things, which prevents us from being heavy-handed with other Life-forms - in the absence of such a mindset, the will to cause injury unjustly has a free rein. Adulthood likewise often breaks off from a person inclinations to hurt others out of course. - And actually causing injury is usually only appropriate as part of medical procedures, as I see it, or also (by convention only), during war.

Human nature has a tendency towards charity, but it is easy for the innocence with which we emerge into the world to be conditioned towards other courses, merely through our own thoughts and reactions to circumstances. One person comes to freely persecute and torment another with a calm mind because they believe it is right. It must be the legitimating thought process that is key to the cause and solution of malevolence. We injure because we can, because we are free, and because it seems to be a fitting response to a given circumstance.

Just as to carry out the behaviours of malevolence cause the acting person satisfaction when he or she is successful, so is it also possible to be made joyful by causing pain - an interesting conundrum. And the greater the cause of consternation, the greater or more prolonged the attack will be.

I end this post with a teaching that appears in similar form throughout the world's religions: do to others as you would have them do to you.