In our turbulent age, negative feelings have become an inseparable part of the public climate, spawning a chain of destructive consequences.

The Roots of Destruction: Unraveling Negative Emotions

In our turbulent age, negative feelings have become an inseparable part of the public climate, spawning a chain of destructive consequences. At the root of emotions such as malice, hatred, and envy lies a distorted set of motives characterized by selfishness, egocentrism, and even a true sermon of hatred. These traits represent a distortion of authentic moral norms, turning human inner dynamics into a source of dangerous social conflicts and disagreements.

The inception of any destructive process lies in the germ of personal selfishness and an outdated concept of superiority, which easily transforms into an aggressive desire for domination. When a person begins to assess others through the prism of personal gain, his actions turn into a brutal expression of envy—a powerful force capable of manifesting not only as passive dissatisfaction but also as aggressive actions aimed at destroying another’s good. This envy, in turn, fuels burning feelings of hatred, turning minor social conflicts into genuine battles for the right to be superior.

As a result, society faces an inexorable breakdown of mutual understanding and trust, where every virtuous undertaking is shrouded in a shadow of suspicion, malevolent intent, and hidden disdain. Along with the destruction of an individual’s inner harmony, there is a deconstruction of the social institutions which should be founded on mutual respect and support. Negative emotions, fueled by selfish and envious impulses, gradually displace true virtues, turning human society into an arena of relentless conflicts and quarrels.

Thus, the modern world faces the task of finding a balance between personal gain and social harmony, where overcoming the distorted ethos of egocentrism becomes the key to establishing healthy interpersonal relationships. Only by abandoning these destructive emotions and returning to true moral values can we lay the foundation for a brighter and fairer future.

What basic motives underlie the manifestations of negative emotions such as malice, hatred, and envy, and how do they affect our society?

At the heart of negative emotions like malice, hatred, and envy lies the presence of immorally based motives that can be conditionally divided into several categories. According to one source, these basic motives include selfishness, egocentrism, and hatred itself—qualities that essentially represent a distortion of genuine moral norms and form an ethics that often dominates the socio-political life of people. As it is stated:

"One could provide an entire gradation of forms of hatred, ranging from causing the object inconvenience (through actions or remarks) and ending with murder, inflicting physical and mental torment upon it. Thus, immorally based motives can be divided into three main categories: 1) selfishness (that which ties a person to an animal), 2) egocentrism (a specific human trait that easily turns into a mania for superhumanity), and 3) hatred (of a satanic character). Clearly, an ethics based on selfishness, egocentrism, and hatred cannot be called ethics in the true sense of the word, although practically these “ethics” are among the dominating systems in the socio-political life of humanity."
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In addition, negative emotions are often fueled by specific manifestations, such as schadenfreude—when a person rejoices in someone else’s misfortune, which serves as the embryo of satanic hatred. This indicates that negative feelings can arise from internal conflicts, where personal ego and envy become sources of destructive emotion.

It should also be noted that envy itself is a powerful foundation for the emergence of hatred. One source indicates that envy not only leads to overwhelming negative emotions but can evolve into a desire to destroy another’s good—even manifesting in murderous behavior:

"Envy leads to hatred, even driving one to murder. 'Whoever is overcome with envy and rivalry,' says Reverend Ephraim Syrin, 'is pitiable; for he is an accomplice of the devil... Envy and rivalry are terrible poisons: from them are born slander, hatred, and murders."
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Furthermore, hostile feelings fueled by envy inflict tangible damage on the social fabric, destroying virtue and encouraging the spread of malign speech, treachery, and other negative qualities that undermine mutual respect and solidarity. As noted:

"Like moles burrowing underground and unable to see the light of God, envious people undermine the very foundation of virtue simply to tarnish someone. And there is no good deed on earth that is not touched by envy. Envy gives all that is good and sacred unworthy names, with the sole purpose of humiliating respectable and decent people, depriving them of the love and respect they justly enjoy. Envy breeds terrible vices: hatred, malice, contempt, treachery, deceit, murder, and many others. Therefore, envy is the root of all evil."
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Thus, the basic motives of negative emotions can be seen as manifestations of distorted selfishness and egocentrism, which, when combined with envy, create fertile ground for the development of hatred and malice. These emotions not only devastate the inner world of an individual, robbing him of inner harmony, but also adversely affect society by generating conflicts, dismantling social institutions, and weakening the sense of mutual support and love among people.

Supporting citation(s):
"One could provide an entire gradation of forms of hatred, ranging from causing the object inconvenience (through actions or remarks) and ending with murder, inflicting physical and mental torment upon it. Thus, immorally based motives can be divided into three main categories: 1) selfishness (that which ties a person to an animal), 2) egocentrism (a specific human trait that easily turns into a mania for superhumanity), and 3) hatred (of a satanic character). Clearly, an ethics based on selfishness, egocentrism, and hatred cannot be called ethics in the true sense of the word, although practically these “ethics” are among the dominating systems in the socio-political life of humanity." (source: link txt)

"Envy leads to hatred, even driving one to murder. 'Whoever is overcome with envy and rivalry,' says Reverend Ephraim Syrin, 'is pitiable; for he is an accomplice of the devil, with envy that ushers in 'death into the world'... Envy and rivalry are terrible poisons: they give birth to slander, hatred, and murders." (source: link txt)

"Like moles burrowing underground and unable to see the light of God, envious people undermine the very foundation of virtue simply to tarnish someone. And there is no good deed on earth that is not touched by envy. Envy gives all that is good and sacred unworthy names, with the sole purpose of humiliating respectable and decent people, depriving them of the love and respect they justly enjoy. Envy breeds terrible vices: hatred, malice, contempt, treachery, deceit, murder, and many others. Therefore, envy is the root of all evil." (source: link txt)