Summary

Wellbeing and a world without hate are linked. Hate affects our ability to feel empathy towards other people. Hate affects our ability to take the perspective of others, to see ourselves in their shoes. Take action to stop Donald J. Trump and ICE from spreading their hate. We will stop the hateful rhetoric, the hateful thoughts, and the hateful actions of Donald J. Trump and ICE. Stop hate for the wellbeing of our world.

Wellbeing and a World without Hate

Hatred is the act of hating. It is a strong sentiment which hijacks our humanity, thus affecting our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our communities. Imagine a world without hate. Let’s explore wellbeing and a world without hate.

The Neuroscience of Hate

In a 2023 research article, Pluta et al share the results of their fMRI study with the goals of differentiating whether hate speech affects the empathy neural network and the perspective taking neural network. Their hypotheses were that hate speech leads to empathic failure, empathic numbing, and dehumanized perception (of outgroup but not ingroup members). The authors elaborate on their hypotheses: that hate speech impacts the experiencing empathy and the attribution of mental states to others; and that hate speech and social pressure lead to empathic failure.

No research studies prior to this study by Pluta et al (2023) had examined the impact of hate speech on neurocognitive processes. The authors propose that specific types of hate speech lead to a deterioration in the ability to attribute mental states to people (ie, people who have been deemed lacking warmth and lacking competence). Overexposure to aggression and hate speech towards a group of people can lead to emotional numbing and desensitization.

Research indicates that brain regions implicated in experiencing empathy are the anterior cingulate and the anterior insula. Of note, the right temporal parietal junction (rTPJ) is important for attributing mental states to other people.

Words Matter: Wellbeing and a World without Hate.

The Pluta et al study, with a small number of participants (N-30), revealed decreased activation of the rTPJ. The result of not taking the perspective of another person may lead us to be less inclined to help a person in distress.

The study confirmed that repeated exposures to hate speech led to emotional numbing. The study demonstrated that hate speech affected the ability to attribute mental states to other people, regardless whether the hate speech related to a member of the ingroup or outgroup.

Hate speech and its consequences impact intergroup relations. Potential interventions to counter the effects of hate speech include empathy learning interventions.

We All Belong: We Are All Human Beings

A sense of belonging to a group is important to our communities. Belonging creates a connection with other human beings. That is what is commonly called social capital. Ingroup and outgroup associations can affect the safety of our communities because when I feel I belong, I am less likely to attack the community to which I belong.

What if we all felt we belonged to the larger community? What if we realized that we all DO BELONG to the larger community?

What if we recognized the danger of identity politics to the exclusion of identifying with everyone, with every human being?

Working together for prosocial behaviours is a goal worthy of our time and energy and cooperation.

What Is Dehumanization?

Dehumanization is the treatment of fellow human beings as lesser beings. When we dehumanize another person, we may perceive them as being subhuman or not human at all.

Imagine believing that a person is less than human. I know, it’s a difficult task. I see a human beside me. How do I arrive at a place in my belief system which lets me believe that the human beside me is less than human or not human at all?

It’s something we learn to do or we do as a result of brain abnormalities.

The Neuroscience of Dehumanization

There is a body of research which is illuminating the areas in our brain for the components of dehumanization as we understand it.

In his enlightening article, Mendez (2023) describes the absence of the ability to experience emotions and empathy which is called animalistic dehumanization. Mechanistic dehumanization is identified as the lack of perception of human nature and the brain’s decreased ability for attributing human nature to people. Developmental disorders may lead to animalistic dehumanization and organic disorders may lead to mechanistic dehumanization (Mendez, 2023).

I would like to make a distinction between disliking someone and dehumanizing a person. Dehumanization is far more sinister, particularly in the consequences of dehumanization. The Holocaust comes to mind as one example of the consequence of dehumanization. Disliking a person does not manifest in the same fashion as dehumanization and I think that is obvious.

Mendez concisely describes the literature to date (time of the article) related to which regions are implicated in the two identified forms of dehumanization. You may read the article yourself for additional information. Let it be said that human beings are learning and are gathering information from research about dehumanization.

Emile Bruneau’s video entitled ‘In Conversation with Emile Bruneau: Dehumanization’ will enhance your understanding of the universality of dehumanization in cultures and the consequence of violence towards the groups who were dehumanized. Bruneau also discusses the imaging data which distinguish dislike from dehumanization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heMDY7bozjI

Consider Bruneau’s statement that learning about the differences between disliking another group and dehumanizing another group may allow us to develop interventions to address these distinct conceptualizations of people (disliking versus dehumanization). That is a goal we need to pursue, for all of humanity.

Actions to Promote Wellbeing and a World without Hate

Let’s consider teaching social intelligence and emotional intelligence and mindfulness skills in all schools. Our children are better armed for life with the power of the gab and the ability to regulate their emotions than they are when given a gun.

And, let’s make hate wrong again.

Call to Action: Wellbeing and Public Health Policy

Keep your eye on the prize of wellbeing. Remember, wellbeing is a process not an endpoint. You can take steps towards your wellbeing and the wellbeing of our nation. Start by learning about public health policy initiatives in your community.

Contact the office of the governor of your state. Ask about state public health policy related to eradicating hate speech and promoting the incorporation of skills training in school curricula teaching emotional intelligence and social intelligence to children and parents.

Imagine: A World without Hate and Collective Wellbeing

What if the next revolution in the world capitalized on each of us belonging to the human race?

Maybe I sound like Pollyanna. Let’s dream together. My dreams manifest in my reality. Let’s cocreate a reality of peace and justice and harmony for everyone. We will manifest this reality, together.

Take a step for humanity and learn to identify and appreciate the beauty in each person. Stand up in your community against hate. Stop ICE and Donald J. Trump from inflicting harm on our collective wellbeing via their hateful rhetoric, hateful actions, and hateful thoughts. Donald J. Trump and ICE hate the American people and hate everyone. Let them stew in their hatred as we spread kindness, justice, peace, cooperation, love, gratitude, altruism, generosity, honesty, tranquility, hope, and truth. Yes, truth.

Truth, not conspiracy theories and not lies, Donald.

Donald J. Trump belongs in the annals of history in the company of Caligula, Nero, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Vlad the Impaler, Leopold II, Baron von Sternberg, Ante Pavelic, and many others. Yes, humanity has produced many monsters. Donald is our very own American monster. And, we will stop him, for the sake of humanity.

Love-bomb your foe and we will succeed in ensuring wellbeing and a world without hate.

‘Imagine’, by John Lennon, performed by Moipei

Be safe. Be kind. Be generous. We will overcome. All we have is our humanity.

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your mental health care professional team.

If you are thinking of hurting yourself or of hurting someone else, please CALL 9-1-1; CALL 9-8-8; or GO TO the nearest emergency room.

Selected References:

Annenberg School of Communication. (October 30, 2020). In Conversation with Emile Bruneau: Dehumanization. University of Pennsylvania. Accessed online on July 5, 2025, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9991937/

Greenberg, M.T. (March 6, 2023). Evidence for Social and Emotional Learning in Schools. Learning Policy Institute. Accessed online on September 20, 2025, at https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/evidence-social-emotional-learning-schools-brief

Herman, D., Benson, R., Gogulsetti, V. (August 12, 2025). The Authoritarian Playbook in Action: What Global Cases Tell Us About Trump’s 2025 Military Deployments. Center for American Progress. Accessed online on October 5, 2025, at https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-authoritarian-playbook-in-action-what-global-cases-tell-us-about-trumps-2025-military-deployments/

Mendez, M.F. (Mar 1 2023). A Functional and Neuroanatomical Model of Dehumanization. Cogn Behav Neurol, 36(1): 42-47. Accessed online on July 5, 2025, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9991937/

Pluta, A., Mazurek, J., Wojciechowski, J., Wolak, T., Soral, W., Bilewicz, M. (13 March 2023). Exposure to hate speech deteriorates neurocognitive mechanisms of the ability to understand others’ pain. Scientific Reports, 13 (article 4127). Accessed online on October 9, 2025, at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-31146-1

Rao, P. (March 4, 2025). A Visual Breakdown of Who Owns America’s Wealth. Visual Capitalist. Accessed online on August 31, 2025, at https://www.visualcapitalist.com/a-visual-breakdown-of-who-owns-americas-wealth/

UN Innovation Network. June 15, 2023. The Neuroscience of Peace and Conflict. Accessed online on March 9, 2025, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJPHLbipNM

Zaki, J. (May 14, 2020). Catastrophe Compassion: Understanding and Extending Prosociality Under Crisis. Trends Cogn. Sci, 24(8): 587-589. Accessed online on November 17, 2024, at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7221394/#:~:text=Extending%20Catastrophe%20Compassion&text=Floods%2C%20bombings%2C%20and%20earthquakes%20are,boundaries%20that%20typically%20separate%20people.

Nota Bene:

USA Government websites are being purged by the current Trump Administration to align the website content with the regime’s political agenda. Please note that any government website cited in this and other posts on this website may no longer contain evidence based or historically correct information. Thus, I am trying to avoid including any references or resources which derive from a USA government website. This is not bias; I take this action in an effort to maintain a factually sound content in my posts.