In the space below, write a 500-word essay explaining why people sometimes hurt others simply because they are different or have different views or beliefs. Support your thesis with excerpts and details from three works that you read in this unit as well as information from nonfiction texts.
One of the major reasons for aggression is fear. The initial reaction to anything new in our life is suspicion and fear. This basic instinct helped our ancestors to survive in prehistoric times, and this feature stayed with us until today. Unfortunately, this primitive reaction is irrelevant to modern people. That is why we educate our children to accept themselves and other people as common, united groups. However, there are issues when a person fails to educate themselves and to acquire a broader perception. Maybe there was a personal, negative experience, which caused such aggression. The point is, it is necessary to treat the root of the problem but not its consequences.
We live in a multicultural society in the age of globalization. Due to rapid technological advancement, global entrepreneurship, and global communication, people have a chance to communicate with many different cultures and their members. However, such communication is not always peaceful and prosperous. Some of the cultures are more conservative than others. Some of the beliefs are radical and do not accept any other view. People cannot abandon such roots simply because they provide a sense of belonging to the group. It is a tough trade. Therefore, people show hate toward ones, who shall be hated according to their beliefs and culture.
Difference in beliefs or views may be only a consequence of much deeper problems. The modern tempo of life dictates its conditions for a successful and happy life. Most of the people do not hold up to the tension. Unreleased stress and overall unhealthy conditions become a reason for aggression, while different beliefs and views become triggers for this aggression realization. Society does have problems, but religious, racial, or cultural conflicts are only the surface of the real problems that need to be addressed.