The Epidemic of Hatred: Understanding Our Moral Disability

New version

Wherever you live in this world, you must have noticed the pervasive presence of hatred. It is a phenomenon that knows no boundaries, even reaching countries like Denmark and Iceland, previously known as the world’s most peaceful nations.

It’s undeniably crazy how we have lost the ability to let others live. At the core of it all lies our inability to understand that we are not the only individuals on this planet. Let’s be honest about it—most problems revolve around factors such as nationality, religion, appearance, physical and mental health, beliefs, and preferences. We, ourselves, become the voices of despair, unable to comprehend and accept differences. This generalization, though cautioned against, might be apt when identifying the collective blame: humanity as a whole. However, there is one clear problem that stands out above all others.

Yes, we are morally disabled, all of us. The chosen song for this post, titled “Disabled People,” serves a purpose: it generated controversy because people assumed it referred to either mentally or physically disabled individuals. Those who made this assumption were already morally disabled, making the connection rather obvious. However, there is indeed a link to be made regarding mentally disabled people as well.

Speaking from personal experience, as an autistic individual, I could be considered mentally disabled, though whether you would also label me morally disabled is a subjective choice. A significant issue I have observed among a considerable number of mentally disabled people is their pervasive negativity, often centered around suicide and self-harm. While these thoughts and emotions are not inherently wrong, it becomes problematic when they are promoted.

Regrettably, this happens far too frequently among mentally disabled individuals. That is precisely why I always support those who stand against it, even when they have experienced these dark moments themselves and managed to overcome them. However, what do I receive for simply stating my views? I am met with backlash, trolling, bullying, and countless hurtful words. This is a testament to the fact that all of us are morally disabled, unable to tolerate differing opinions and insisting that others conform to our own.

The world has become fixated on labels, and these labels often determine whether we perceive someone as good or bad. Yet, it doesn’t work that way, not at all. This is precisely why I choose not to mention my Jewish background on my “about me” page, nor do I reveal my physical appearance or post photos of myself. The moment I mentioned being Jewish, I received 11 hate messages within 10 minutes on Twitter, and I’m just an ordinary person in this world.

Eventually, after explaining that being Jewish does not equate to being a Zionist, most people were able to understand. However, it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I am not a hateful person; if I hate someone, they must have done something truly terrible to me. So, having to continually explain myself whenever someone learns something about me saddens me. What’s even more cruel is that this holds true both in real life and on the internet. After a while, it feels safer to keep quiet.

Our two worlds, the physical and the digital, have become havens for morally disabled individuals who fail to comprehend and accept differences. The internet, in particular, acts as a second world for all of us, whether we acknowledge it or not. It’s not just the malevolent individuals who hide their faces online; even people like you and me refrain from sharing openly due to fear of those who perpetuate evil in this digital realm. Yet, even online, we are not safe.

While most of the reasons for this lack of safety are evident, what many fail to recognize is the role social media platforms play in fostering hatred. Let’s take a closer look at the big three: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. All three require users to be at least 13 years old to sign up, supposedly due to the identification requirements set by the American government. However, this requirement reflects a form of discrimination, whether you consider it positive discrimination towards Americans or negative discrimination towards others.

From my perspective, as a European resident, I can only provide examples based on European countries. Most European countries do not mandate identification methods until the age of 18, and some even require individuals to be 21 years old. Yet, like Americans, we are expected to provide these identification documents to these platforms, despite them being unnecessary and not legally required. While the European Union’s law states that identification should only be shown to governmental agencies, local laws may differ. However, the fact remains that many of us do not possess these identification documents, nor do we need them, yet some platforms force us to obtain them, perpetuating a form of discrimination and, consequently, hatred.

Both Facebook and Instagram have relatively lenient identification requirements. Facebook accepted my birth certificate as valid proof of identity, while Instagram accepted an unpublished photo that couldn’t be reverse-image-searched—a more secure method than some might acknowledge. However, Twitter refused to accept any form of identification from me. My birth certificate, Ukrainian passport, Russian passport, and even my European ID card were all rejected. To my surprise, it became apparent that a significant portion of Twitter’s European staff is not located in Europe at all, but rather in the USA. This includes the entire Russian staff team of Twitter, many of whom are not even Russian themselves. This lack of identification verification not only hinders the completion of essential tasks but also jeopardizes our online safety—yet another form of discrimination we face, simply for not being American.

In the end, the world is saturated with hatred, even in this very discussion. Although I strive to maintain a measured tone, the act of spreading any form of negativity can be construed as hatred. Spoken or written words that have the potential to harm others can be viewed as acts of hatred. However, in today’s world, how can we avoid spreading hatred?

Let’s face the truth: the media and politics are both filled with hatred, and they remain two of the most influential entities in our lives. Personally, I abstain from watching television altogether, so I might miss out on numerous examples from both media and politics. However, I am active on the internet, a form of media often overlooked. Unfortunately, we cannot escape it entirely and live like the Amish; that would simply not work for most of us. Instead, what we need to do is recognize and accept differences without treating everyone as equal or with automatic respect. Instead, let’s approach others with honesty, considering their individual needs rather than just our own. Ultimately, if you bring harm to another person, you will also face harm, leading to a cycle that may result in the destruction of everyone, whether we like it or not.

Old version (The Endless Hatred)

Wherever you live at this world, you should have noticed it, hatred.
It is happening everywhere, even at the previous named 2 most peaceful countries at the world, which were Denmark and Iceland.

It is crazy, there is no denying, it is crazy we ourselves lost the ability to let others live.
That is what it all comes down to, the unability to understand we are not the only person at this world.
Just let us be honest about it, as most problems resolve around nationality, religion, looks, health(including mental health), believes and likings.
We ourselves are the voice of despair, there is no other way of explaining…
And that is generalization, which most say we should not do.
Indeed, we should not generalize, most often that is, as maybe we should generalize who is to blame, and that is simply humanity, all of us together.
And yet, there is one clear problem above all…

Yes, we are disabled, all of us, morally disabled to be precise.
And I made the choice of the song above for a purpose, as that song got a lot of controvery because the title basically means “Disabled People”…
My part of this is however saying that making that link is quite correct…
Sure it is, the one who thought it was about either mental disabled or physical disabled people, that person already was morally disabled, so that is not hard at all.
But, there is a link at mentally disabled people just as well.
Simple fact is, I myself would count as mentally disabled, as I am autistic, if you would count me morally disabled is your choice.
My problem with a huge number of mentally disabled people is that they are fully negative, all about suicide and hurt, which is not wrong on its self, but it is when you promote these acts…
That in fact is what happens quite a lot at mentally disabled people, and that is why I always support those who stand against it, even when they have had this phase themselves, as they overcome it.
But what do I get for just stating this? Bashed, trolled, bullied and a lot of other words of hurt.
That is which shows exactly all of us are morally disabled, as we are not able to let others have their opinions, but instead they should all have the same to us…

The world has all become to resolve around labels, and that label always shows to us whether you good or bad.
Yet, the thing is that it does not work like that, not at all even.
It is why I never have added the fact of me being Jewish at my “about me” page, or how I actually look like, and do not even post photos of it.
Just the fact of stating that I was Jewish, got my 11 hate messages within 10 minutes at Twitter, and I am basically just a nobody, just another person at this world…
In the end all except 2 were able to understand me after saying that Zionists are not the same as Jewish people, yet it does leave a bad taste in my mouth.
I am not a hateful person, if I hate you, you have to do something very bad to me, so having to explain that every time somebody learns something of me, it makes me feel sad.
And the cruelest part is that it counts both in real life as at the internet, and after some time, it just feels better to keep your mouth shut, as it does for me.

Our 2 worlds have become places of morally disabled people, not able to understand the differences and accept others.
The internet is in fact a second world to all of us, whether we deny it or accept it, it never will anything else.
It is not even those who do evil that will not show their faces as example,
It is also people like me and you that will not do, as we are afraid of those who do evil at this world we call the internet.
Yet even online we are not safe.
Most of the reasons are clear, but what most do not actually recognize is the hatred of social media.
No, not those who are active at these so-called “social platforms”, but the staff managing all of these websites.

Just take a look at the big 3, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
All require the age of 13 to sign up, simply for the fact that is the age all Americans apparently should have governmental identification methods.
I indeed say Americans, as this is about hatred, and in actual fact the hatred shows by discrimination.
Whether you call it positive discrimination to Americans, or (negative) discrimination to the others, it is something that is there.
I however can only give the example of Europeans, as I live at Europe myself.
That age of 13 is a disability to almost every young person that is active at these platforms.
As just like those at the regions of America, we are allowed to sign up and use these platforms when we are 13, just there is one single difference…

Most European countries do not have the age of 13 as mandatory for having governmental identification methods.
In fact, I know for certain of countries that have the age of 18, but if I remember correctly, there is even at least country that goes all the way up to 21.
And yet, just like Americans, we need to give these to the platforms when making certain request, that is impossible to most of us, and probably even more important, lawfully not required!
As if I do not say it wrong, the European Union has a law stating it is only required to show to governmental agencies, but that could be local laws too…
But that is all but important, as the fact most of us do not have one, do not even require one, and are forced by some of these platforms to get one, it is a form of discrimination, and therefore hatred.
Both Facebook and Instagram are however pretty mild, Facebook accepted my birth certificate as valid proof of identity, Instagram instead accepted a photo that was not yet posted to Instagram and was not able to be reverse-image-searched, which in fact is a more secure way than some recognize, but that is not of importance right now.

Twitter remains the only platform that did not accept anything AT ALL, my birth certificate was an invalid way of identification to them, my Ukrainian passport was an invalid way of identification, Russian passport(no comment) the same, and yes, even my European ID card was denied, which remains the most funny to me.
The reason was not very clear for some time, until I got to hear quite a huge amount of the European Twitter staff are not located at Europe at all, but also just at the USA, which apparently includes the full Russian staff team of Twitter, which most are not even Russian.(Unless you want to make comments of Finland, Belarus and some Asian countries being Russia, which I would advice not to do…)
It all ends up in no way of identification, hurting not the obvious ability of getting things done, but also internet safety, in eventually us ourselves…
Discriminated just not being American, even while way back in history, Southern and Northern America were taken(Look at the history of the USA as easiest example…) by Europeans, Africans and Asians, the 2 continents are in ways the children of the other continents…

In the end, all of the world is about hatred, even what I am saying.
Even though I try to keep it mild, it is a form of hatred that I just spread here.
It is not as simple as me telling you that an uprise/rebellion/revolution could break apart both Russia and USA from within if people wanted to,
But just words that could hurt people in general, can already be seen as hatred.
And yet, how can we not spread hatred in the world of today?

As let us just be honest about it…
The media and politics are both filled with hatred, and still are the 2 most important things, to every one of us.
I personally as example do not watch television at all, so I will miss a lot of media examples, and political.
But, I am active at the internet, a form of media often forgotten.
Yet, we can not get away from it, as living as Amish people, that would never work, at least not for all of us.
What we would need to do is noticing differences and accepting them, but not to treat everyone equal or with respect, instead treat others honestly, in ways that are good for them, and not necessarily which is good for you.
In the end, if you kill another, you will be killed yourself, and in the end it will just end up in everyone being killed, whether we like it…
or not…