I learned from a young age as well. I became prey and didn't understand it, nothing made sense, internalized everything, thought it was my fault, didn't know how to disengage, everything stuck and hit hard. And that's exactly where those types want you. For what?
This is actually the sickest part of the psychology behind this behaviour and it all comes down to power. The only way these people feel empowered is by breaking others into submission. It's actually an act of violence mixed in with cowardice. If they feel threatened (which most often they will because they all seem to suffer from an inferiority complex), they can only rise to the top by pulling others below them instead of actually doing something that shows them to be a good person who's achieved something by hard work.
Yes. In essence, they cheat in order to win, and their prize is just an illusion. In athletics for instance. The reaction when someone breaks some kind of world record or wins the belt. True winner can barely contain themselves. Someone all juiced up appears, empty. Their body and mind naturally provides feelings of failure rather than reward on their 'best' day.
That empty appearance I know exactly what you mean. It seems so strange and totally unnatural and backwards to me. It's like people that delight in the downfall of others, I just don't get the sadistic pleasure they get out of it other than to use the word psychopathic.
What's interesting though is how society is delighted when those types get caught, no matter how much they want to go down kicking and screaming. I want to say that's natural and dates back to the first humans. Without it, humanity would have ate itself to death long ago, both metaphorically and literally.
Unfortunately these days with modern politics being applied to nearly everything, people are preconditioned into accepting atrocities provided that's the team they played for, beforehand. An example locally here would be team 'I hate downvote' being happy to see a psychopath lie, smear, steal, manipulate, threaten, harass, the list goes on and on. It was applauded and encouraged. Scale it up. Some of those protests. Suddenly it's okay to burn down a city; for a good cause?
Oh I totally get where you are coming from. It's ridiculous that groups of sheep are happy to see destruction and mayhem run unchecked as long as it's in the name of their cause. It happens with religion too. It's okay to kill as long as it's the "will" of their god... it's been going on since the dawn of civilization but that doesn't mean it's right or that we should stand for it and just let it happen.
I got chewed out once for remarking that there was a peaceful march where there was no vandalism, chaos, mayhem, violence or litter generated. Everyone marched then dispersed and felt they had done their part in having their voices heard.
When I mentioned that this is the way to do it and not be a hooligan I was called a racist bitch for drawing a comparison to the people that act like barbarians and feel that it's their right to burn down a library or city hall. It's just so bizarre and at the time (this was about 8 years ago already) I didn't realize how deeply ingrained this psychology had taken root. Was quite disgusting to be honest.
Often nowadays pockets of society are guided by the content they consume, becoming products of their environment; an environment that now mostly exists in the palm of their hand, on a screen. Disconnected from reality; offered only a glimpse of their choosing and of course pulled along by more suggested content based off previous behavioral patterns. Little cults in a box feeling connected but often disconnected from everything else to the point it just seems absurd so and so would think such and such while a hundred applaud with likes, instantly. Challenge those views and there's a hundred more shoving the same prepared and preapproved scripted argument in your face.
All groups do it but if you point it out, people think you're talking about the other team, agree, and go back to being that way, completely oblivious.
So it used to take something like a Jim Jones to steer people over a cliff. Now people just do it to themselves. Sure maybe someone or some organization offered an idea but the people are the ones doing all the heavy lifting, expanding upon it and spreading it all to one another. Then becoming self destructive to themselves and one another but unable to feel the pain.
Yeah, these are strange times.
It's exactly that - cult like. It's just so bizarre that people can't see it in their own behaviour and will happily get onto their little soap box preaching to others that their way is the right way. I think society has lost the plot, generally when this kind of thing starts to happen, it's a long walk off a short cliff for sure.
It's very nice to meet you by the way. Thanks for your reply!
The kicker: Not one cult member in the history of cults knew they were in a cult.
Nice meeting you as well.