Human society has been constantly and intensively developing for many centuries. One era gives way to another, progress in all spheres of activity has raised man to the pedestal of the dominant species on planet Earth.
One thing is bad: everything changes on the path of progress, but no one, with all their aspirations, strengths and capabilities, could either ban, overcome or abolish cruelty. This character trait, like many others, manifests itself in different situations, changing a person to unpredictable consequences.
What is cruelty?
Cruelty is selfish selfishness, envy, hatred and malice towards other people, towards life and towards oneself. This is the result of a lack of success in achieving one’s own goals and objectives with intentional or accidental harm to everything around.
It's no secret: what goes around comes around - cruelty begets cruelty. Causing harm to everything around in order to gain benefit for themselves, people do not think about the consequences that will not take long to arrive.
Arguments from literature
- M. Gorky “Childhood”.
Maxim Gorky in his autobiographical story “Childhood” describes not only the bright sides of his childhood, but also those that he would like to forget about, but, unfortunately, he cannot erase them from his memory. The dark sides of Alyosha Peshkov's life are connected with the image of his grandfather Vasily Vasilyevich Kashirin. The boy was left without a father early on; his mother left him with his grandparents in order to improve her personal life. Alyosha spent his entire childhood in their house. He had only bright and warm memories of his grandmother, and his grandfather was a cruel, merciless man. He did not miss an opportunity to show his cruelty: the old man often beat his wife, a kind, merciful, hardworking woman, despite the fact that she was taller and physically stronger than him. Grandfather Kashirin, every Saturday, mercilessly flogged his grandchildren who, in his opinion, had sinned. Once he punished Alyosha so much for ruining a festive tablecloth that he lay flat on the bed without getting up for several weeks. The boy was sick for a long time from the beatings. The old man did not get along with his children either: the sons asked to separate them, often quarreled among themselves and with the old father; The daughter also did not meet with understanding from her father. Alyosha’s grandfather did not show mercy to his workers either. They never heard a single kind word from him, only rudeness, abuse, and suffered constant beatings from him. He explained his cruelty by a difficult childhood, when he was also beaten, humiliated and insulted. But neither the hero nor the reader wants to justify him, since a kind person does not allow his soul to become callous and rude even in the most terrible life circumstances. Kashirin’s cruelty is an attempt to assert himself and a manifestation of weakness.
2. L.N. Andreev "Bite".
A cruel person is cruel not only to humans, but also to animals. In the story by L.N. Andreeva tells about the ruthless attitude towards a simple mongrel, a stray dog. She saw no affection, no love, no joy in her life, but encountered only rudeness, aggression and human cruelty. Almost every passerby tried to kick her harder, adults hooted and whistled after her when Kusaka ran away from the children throwing stones and sticks after her. The dog stopped trusting people, began to be afraid of them, and on occasion could bite or bare his teeth, showing his teeth. Her life changed with the arrival of spring, when townspeople began to come to their dachas. They adopted the dog, gave it a nickname, and played with it the whole summer. Kusaka became kind again, because she didn’t have to worry about food, didn’t have to look for affection and warmth, she finally became home, needed and loved. She was ready to serve her masters for the rest of her life. But autumn came, the summer residents were getting ready to leave, and Lelya’s mother refused to take the homeless mongrel into the city apartment. Lele becomes so bitter that she leaves for the city without saying goodbye to her beloved. Kusaka is again cruelly betrayed by people. With their callous act, they caused her unbearable pain, which she expressed in her howl.
3. A.K. Tolstoy "Vasily Shibanov".
Name A.K. Tolstoy is known to a wide range of readers. His enormous interest in the historical past of Russia prompted the writer to write a number of talented works about historical figures. One of these works is the ballad “Vasily Shibanov”. It takes us back to the reign of Ivan IV, called the Terrible for his executions and atrocities. The author paints an image of a ruthless, despotic and infinitely cruel ruler. Bloody executions were followed by feasts, at which blood was also shed. Prince Kurbsky, a former governor and close associate of the tsar, fled from him to the Lithuanian state, fearing the tsar's wrath. Wanting to express his indignation at Ivan the Terrible and the whole truth about him, the prince writes an angry letter, which the eager Vasily Shibanov expressed a desire to deliver to the tsar. When he entered Moscow, the bells were ringing. The people were afraid of this sound, because most often the ringing of the bell summoned the people to a demonstration execution, in which the king himself always participated. The Moscow people prayed that at least a rare day would pass without an execution. After delivering the letter, Vasily Shibanov is subjected to severe torture. First, the tsar himself plunged the sharp end of his staff into the leg of the stirrup, and then, by order of the tsar, Malyuta Skuratov and his executioners tortured him. Ivan the Terrible wants to know all the details of Kurbsky’s escape, his secret connections, as well as the names of his friends. The executioners replace each other, not giving Shibanov a moment's peace, their torture is cruel and inhuman. The eager prince, unable to withstand these tortures, dies. The whole truth about Tsar Grozny, a cruel bloodsucker, despot and tyrant, is revealed to the reader.
Forms of cruelty
Cruelty has different forms of manifestation: inflicting physical pain on a living being without any pity or compassion, offensive words, all kinds of actions and even inaction, and often unhealthy fantasies. She finds a loophole in straightforwardness and stubbornness, in mockery and deceit, in anger and unfriendliness, in intolerance for the mistakes of others.
The worst thing is when cruelty brings moral or physical pleasure. This is already sadism. Moreover, people, animals, plants, buildings, monuments, transport, places of leisure, etc. suffer from the harmful consequences.
Other methods of protection
Anyone who has suffered from cruelty needs to take immediate action. First, enroll in a martial arts school. Having studied self-defense techniques, the victim will be able to apply them in practice - on his offender. Some experts argue that it is not worth responding with anger to aggression. But some psychologists are still confident that a change in behavior puts a cruel person into a stupor. He does not expect such pressure and retreats.
Secondly, you need to ask for help. If aggressive behavior comes from children, then talk to their parents and teachers. When an adult shows cruelty, law enforcement agencies will provide significant support: they will not only protect you from the offender, but will also determine his punishment if his actions are particularly violent. In the case of verbal cruelty, you can simply ignore unpleasant words or respond to them with humor - the opponent will soon get tired of wasting his energy and will find another object to claim.
What is cruelty? This is a phenomenon that can be completely eradicated. The most important weapons in the fight against aggression directed towards you are your firmness, confidence, equanimity, competent actions and the ability to stand up for yourself.
Reasons for cruelty
People are not born cruel. In society there have always been norms of behavior, ethics and morality, on the border of which cruelty lay dormant. Abusive people become abusive for many reasons:
- High or low self-esteem. Dissatisfaction with life and yourself.
- The concepts of morality and morality have lost their power.
- Self-affirmation in a distorted form as a misunderstanding of methods of self-preservation.
- Childhood fears that persist into adulthood among people who faced indifference, cruel punishments and a strict upbringing regime in childhood.
- Demonstration of one's greatness and power through humiliating, mocking words, oppression and suppression, violence, murder. Sadism is the highest form of cruelty.
- Pride and, as a result, a feeling of revenge.
- Hiding personal complexes due to inferiority and weakness.
- Manifestation of inhumanity in inaction, taking pleasure in it, deliberate refusal to help.
How to deal with your own aggression?
The reasons described above give an idea of why kind people become cruel. But how to deal with such manifestations? What to do if you start to boil internally?
Physical activity perfectly clears away negativity. After all, sport teaches conscious control over your emotions and body. Psychologists often recommend mastering breathing exercises. It will allow you to control both body and spirit.
Find a safe outlet for accumulated negativity. Release your emotions with a scream. Just not on your family or your colleague. Shout where it's needed. For example, become an ardent football fan or attend rock concerts.
By the way, psychologists recommend this technique: stand near the railway in the evening. When the train passes, scream as loud as you can, as loud as you can. The noise of the wheels will drown out any sound. No one will hear you, but your body will receive the necessary release.
Acceptable Cruelty
To better understand what cruelty is, we need to consider it as a reaction to intolerable circumstances that threaten human existence. And the more fierce they are, the more the response will go off scale.
The psychology of cruelty is a fine line on which good and evil are balanced. Is it possible to be a harmless, sympathetic, compliant person for everyone if you are faced with meanness, injustice, humiliation and insults? I think no. But the cruel are feared, shunned, and sometimes even respected.
A tough person is a strong personality. Kindness cannot be opposed to cruelty if human life depends on it. Therefore, cruelty should be developed not for violence, but in order to resist it.
Why do cruel people exist? Man by nature is a predator. If you look back at the whole history, you can’t count the wars with the most brutal destruction of all living things. Therefore, in any developed society, laws are necessary, the violation of which is fraught with severe punishment. Cruelty is an integral part of life, which means you need to learn to live and fight with it, and look for new models of behavior.
How to help the victim
The cruelty of people is a feeling that arises under certain circumstances. Not always and not with everyone. Circumstances develop in such a way that favorable soil is created for the germination of the root of evil. Usually the victims are people who are insecure, who constantly doubt and worry, and have low self-esteem. Such people are convinced that they deservedly succumb to criticism or beatings. They, like a magnet, attract cruel people who want to bring down a whole range of different insults on their heads.
If a person himself cannot get out of such a state, close and dear people should help him. The potential victim needs to be explained that she is an individual, a person. And no one has the right to call her names, beat her, or mock her. The person needs to be made to understand that the offender himself is shackled by many complexes that he hides behind feigned aggression. At the same time, all ways to overcome the victim complex should be aimed at increasing self-esteem and convincing her of her own success.
Examples of cruelty in everyday life
Every person has at least once asked what is also cruelty, examples of which are found all the time. All media are simply replete with reports of outrages and violence. Television, radio, the press, the Internet, fiction and scientific literature, history textbooks - everywhere you can encounter examples of cruelty.
Any historical social system, kings, serfdom, wars, repressions - everything is permeated with cruelty. The cult of cruelty in religions, sacrifice, aggression, intimidation, abuse of power, sky-high crime rates and impunity, terrorism are also cruelty.
In family life, examples of cruelty include suppression of will, energy vampirism, creation of obstacles in the realization of intellectual, creative and professional opportunities, all kinds of prohibitions in planning offspring, budget, leisure, etc.
And, of course, cruelty to animals is an abyss from which it is impossible to escape. If a person is capable of offending a dumb creature, then it is difficult to call him a person.
Why people are cruel to each other: the main reasons
The most important reason that gives rise to cruelty is childhood trauma. Children growing up in a favorable environment see only good, beautiful, and bright things around them. They will never grow up to be killers, since they will perceive any manifestations of cruelty as something unacceptable and wrong.
What happens to a person who absorbs evil and aggression from birth? Yes, he will hate this whole world, because it does not bring him anything good. And then, from childhood, the child will begin to show his cruelty towards living beings. For example, he will tear off the wings of a butterfly or pull a cat by the tail with all his might. And, if the parents do not explain to the child that this cannot be done, because such actions are harmful, then he will consider his behavior absolutely normal.
There is another reason for cruelty - the destroyed self-esteem of a person. If you are constantly humiliated, insulted, beaten, and you are forced to watch how in your family dad mocks mom, then mercy will never settle in your heart. You will want to assert yourself, and you will begin to do this in an aggressive way.
I would highlight several main reasons, also known as motives, why a person shows cruelty towards another.
| Cause | Description |
| Low self-esteem | By humiliating another person, you get the feeling that you are somehow better. In this case, the cruel person feels superior, and so his self-esteem increases. |
| Low self-esteem | A person’s parents simply did not instill any moral and ethical standards, so he does not know what is good and what is bad. |
| The instinct of self-preservation | Some people are sure that the only way to survive in this world is to be tough and uncompromising. |
| Inner weakness | By showing cruelty, a person shows that he can be strong, and that everyone should fear him, since his personality in this world also has weight. |
Personally, I feel pity for cruel people. I understand perfectly why they behave this way - they are deeply unhappy people who did not receive parental affection, love, attention. Only a few people from disadvantaged families manage to become worthy individuals with a good reputation and the ability to do good deeds.
A story from life, why people are cruel not only to each other, but also to their loved ones
In my life I met a person whom I considered simply a standard. I looked up to him, copied him literally in everything related to personal growth. For me, he was a bright leader who always spoke logical thoughts and strictly followed them. But I never paid attention to how he communicated with his loved ones, I didn’t care why he didn’t have a pet, or how his personal life was going. But one day a situation happened that revealed all the cards regarding this person.
I needed to get a set of books from him at home, so I came in the evening to get them. A woman who had scars all over her face and bruises on her legs opened the door for me. She was so thin and stooped, but at the same time she smiled. I went into the house, where everything was beautiful and well-groomed, except for one room in which this woman lived. As it turned out, she was the mother of my idol, who raised him very strictly as a child. Imagine, he allowed her to live in his apartment, but deliberately created terrible conditions in order to avenge her suffering in childhood. This was the last time we saw him, I didn’t take the book.
Why am I telling this? Moreover, a cruel person cannot be immediately recognized. But there are several clear signs of cruelty.
7 signs of an abusive person
I’ll tell you in more detail about how to recognize a cruel person:
- A person is inclined to lie. For him, one lie gives rise to another.
- The person does not take responsibility for anything. If something negative happens, he blames everyone around him, but not himself. Naturally, he will also never ask for forgiveness for his actions.
- An abusive person seeks to control everything. This could be the personal life of children, relatives or wards. If something gets out of his control, he immediately begins to feel helpless, which makes him even angrier.
- A person does not trust anyone and judges people by himself in everything.
- Such a person almost never cares about the interests of other people. He may ask what you would like, but only for the purpose of understanding what benefit this could have for him personally.
- Such people do not accept reality, and for the sake of their well-being they can turn everything inside out.
- These people are unhappy with everything, they gossip and discuss those who are doing well in life.
Think, maybe there are people like this among your friends. If the answer is yes, then run away from them immediately, otherwise you will soon become their victim.
What is cruelty in the children's world
Very often, cruelty manifests itself in children who are out of control. Child cruelty is primarily associated with unfavorable family relationships. Lack of respect between family members and frequent quarrels in the presence of children reduce the level of trust in parents, which results in anger and aggression in the child.
Attention, care, patience, and frankness will help protect children from cruelty. A personal role model is very important. The absence of cruelty on the part of parents towards children and people around them will raise respect in the family to the proper level. Seeing and appreciating a child’s personality, taking into account his opinions and interests, trying to see the world through his eyes is the key to success in the age-old problem of fathers and children.
Anger is a destructive trait
A trait such as anger is the personification of several qualities at once:
- irritability;
- dissatisfaction;
- contradiction in worldview and oneself;
- selfishness.
Is a physical state characterized by an emotional structure in the brain. This is a reaction to a situation that prevents the satisfaction of a need. The manifestation of anger is often associated with psychological trauma. It all depends on the situation; sometimes the worst trait hinders the personality or, on the contrary, mobilizes opportunities. Often an angry person crosses boundaries, allowing himself to throw out negativity.
Anger is one of the worst qualities
The main problem is that anger tends to accumulate. Upon reaching a large volume, it turns into such a quality as aggression, which often spills out with destructive consequences. Hatred should not be confused with anger; these are different traits, but they have common causes of origin. It is possible, even necessary, to get rid of anger, especially when there are fewer and fewer people around who want to communicate
It is important to find the reason for the manifestation of this trait and work on yourself
How to overcome cruelty?
Knowing and understanding what cruelty is, you can take certain measures to protect yourself from it. Among them are simple methods and work on yourself:
- If you realize that cruelty is evil, then this is the first step towards solving the issue of getting rid of it.
- It is necessary to love yourself, people and the whole world around you, thereby getting rid of internal fears.
- You need to give to the world what you yourself want to receive: mercy, compassion, kindness.
- Increasing self-esteem, the desire for success, and social recognition is one of the effective ways to combat cruelty.
- Limiting your social circle. Surrounded by kind and decent people, the world becomes cleaner.
Thus, cruelty is caused by both external and internal factors that are ingrained in a person from childhood. We talked not only about our own ability to be cruel, but also about the very attitude of other people to such manifestations. Therefore, it is necessary to fight and prevent this character trait from childhood, instilling in the child kindness and mercy towards the people around him.
How not to become cruel: an explanation for children
In order for a child to grow up as a moral person, he needs to be explained from a very young age what cruelty is and what qualities are opposite to it.
The slightest manifestations of cruelty can be observed even in childhood, when girls and boys fight and severely injure each other. Or they cut off the wings of butterflies, unable to feel sorry for a living creature. Then parents must explain that they are hurting others. If this becomes a habit, the child will grow up to be a cruel tyrant.
It is necessary to explain that the person who bullies you today can beat you up tomorrow and then commit a crime. Therefore, it is necessary to tell that a crime is usually punished, and he will also definitely be punished, sooner or later.
Also, those who believe in God can explain the principles of cruelty in the commandments. One of them says “Thou shalt not kill.” This is the most terrible sin and the most powerful manifestation of cruelty. And people are rational beings, and therefore they must prevent cases of cruelty.
Are all people evil?
It is important to be able to build this defense correctly. “The freedom of each ends where the freedom of another begins,” this quote belongs to the philosopher M.A.
Bakunin, and it perfectly reflects how cruelty should be treated. It is permissible to defend your own freedoms in a critical situation in this way, but in no case should you encroach on those of others.
Important! It is generally impossible to renounce cruelty, since this will result in a gradual suppression of the personality of the person who refuses. Society is gradually gaining more and more freedom, because people have become more evil
However, this is not a reason to refuse a calm discussion of the problem. Moreover, the principles of mutual respect and peaceful conversations should be laid down from early childhood
Society is gradually gaining more and more freedom, because people have become more evil. However, this is not a reason to refuse a calm discussion of the problem. Moreover, the principles of mutual respect and peaceful conversations should be laid down from early childhood.
Mom teaches daughter
Option 2
The world we live in is very cruel. Everything around us testifies to this. It's worth just looking at the people. Why are people sometimes angry? Why are they often so cruel? Cruelty is the ruthlessness and indifference of a person towards another person. At the same time, the person enjoys it.
People harm each other, nature and all living things in general. This is already a habit of people, which has been developed over years and millennia. Such a person is most often considered selfish, he is envious, anger and hatred speaks in him. Cruelty is dreams that could not come true. Goals that are not achieved.
In the end, ruthlessness makes a person unhappy, destroys him, and prevents him from loving himself and others and fully enjoying life. Why do people become ruthless? Psychologists say that there are several reasons: the first is dissatisfaction with life. Such people are constantly depressed and stressed. At such moments, you can see a mother yelling at a child, a driver yelling at a pedestrian, a salesperson responding rudely to a customer. The second reason is indifference. The third reason is the suppression of emotions. People who are forced to suppress their emotions in everyday life may become aggressive in other places.
You can hear more and more often in the news about violence among teenagers. Several teenagers beat their classmate and film the whole process. Not only boys, but also girls participate in this. This is a way of self-affirmation for weak children who have experienced psychological violence. Many famous writers have said that cruelty begets even greater cruelty. That is why it turns out that the child passes on to his classmate the cruelty that he himself received. Ruthlessness destroys a person from the inside.
But there are others - good people. What is kindness? This is responsiveness, a willingness to always come to the aid of someone in need, a feeling of tenderness, love, and compassion. Kindness is supporting the weak and helping in difficult life situations. The main thing is that it's all free. A kind person lets the problems of others pass through him, and in this way he understands the person even more. Such a person is a strong person.
I want the world to consist only of good people. Kindness and love can change the world for the better. This is a wonderful feeling, a person shines from the inside. Kindness and cruelty are eternal concepts. They will exist as long as man exists.
