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Violence and aggression

A man in a hat and coat holding his collar, with a bottle and glass of whiskey in the foreground, in a dimly lit setting.

Violence and aggression

idea

What do you really want when you want to get your revenge?

An evolutionary deterrent and a defence of one’s honour, revenge is relatively harmless – until it’s exacted on the innocent

by Renée Danziger

Floral bouquets and a sign depicting the London Underground logo with the text  “London Stands United. We Are Not Afraid” are attached to a black fence.

Violence and aggression

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Can counterterrorist strategies help in abusive relationships?

What can counterterrorism strategies teach us about fighting the distorted threats and destabilisation of gaslighting?

by Christiana Spens

Black-and-white photo of numerous human skulls arranged in rows inside a room with plain walls and natural light from a window.

Violence and aggression

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Recognising our common humanity might not be enough to prevent hatred

The dehumanisation idea is compelling, and efforts to reduce it well-meaning, but it’s a flawed explanation of intergroup harm

by Harriet Over

Painting of early hominids using tools in a rocky landscape with scattered animal skulls and a distant horizon.

Human nature

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Do humans really have a killer instinct or is that just manly fancy?

The killer-instinct idea achieved such cultural power because it came embedded in gripping stories about human nature

by Nadine Weidman

Black and white photo of a person in a dark tunnel with light in the background, wearing a coat, looking at the camera.

Stories and literature

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The plague novel you need to read is by Bachmann, not Camus

In Ingeborg Bachmann’s Malina, the plague isn’t a biological virus, it doesn’t cause lockdowns, but it is killing us

by Lyndsey Stonebridge

Black and white photo of a man and woman in swimwear relaxing on a sandy beach with rocky cliffs in the background.

Love

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Love shouldn’t be blind or mad. Instead, fall rationally in love

Blind, all-consuming love goes against your interests and impedes your flourishing. Submit your love to rational scrutiny

by Berit Brogaard

Black and white photo of three men in a shop, two in bowler hats clowning with an electric fan while a clerk watches amusedly.

Violence and aggression

idea

Ever taken pleasure in another’s pain? That’s ‘everyday sadism’

It’s not just killers who are sadistic. To counteract the suffering caused by everyday sadism, recognise how common it is

by Lucy Foulkes