What do we feel when we do ‘bad’ things?

Why do people do ‘bad’ things? Is it because they feel bad – or because those bad things feel good? It’s not hard to find instances of terrible, scary things in popular media – youth gone wild, health epidemics, crime waves, etc. Sometimes these are beat-ups and moral panics; and sometimes they are more common than we think, or even unbelievably real. Nasty incidents of online trolling and attacks are commonplace, and mass gatherings channeling anger and even hatred occurred as recently as just over ten years ago Australia in the form of the Cronulla Riots.

But why do these things happen? What are the emotions that drive these acts? There can be a simple thrill or joy in doing the wrong thing – what Jack Katz calls the ‘seductions of crime’ – that tricks and compels some people into committing anti-social acts, but are these secretive, individualized compulsions not shaped by how we relate – or fail to relate authentically – to the people around us? Do we not deviate because we feel (and often hide) a sense of deviance, and maybe even shame? Is it shame and fear of the challenge to identities – to conventional masculine dominance, or the threat of job loss from globalization – that compels some young men to anger and violence, as Ghassan Hage has argued occurred on Cronulla Beach eleven years ago? How do all these feeling mix and feed off each other – fear, shame, repression, thrills, and anger – in the dynamics of deviance?

#S327UOW16 #Tut9

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1 Comment on What do we feel when we do ‘bad’ things?

Vanessa Jenkins @vanessajenkins0 said : Guest Report 9 years ago

Ghassen Hage says male violent acts in the cronulla riots were caused from male dominace, anger , fear and the fear of job loss affecting society and themselves. I think this may have happened from a mixture of emotions and attitudes of rage, power and no control or care over there actions. This anger may have been built up over time and small act may have set off the huge uncontrollable violent act. I belive it is different for every individual in what drives a person to perform such violent acts as jack katz calls the seduction of crime where it becomes a 'high' a thrill the person gets by horrible acts which becomes a joy and the individual is tricked into it. I think it may be a psychological issue since the person is a child an illness that needs to be managed and perhaps medicated, a childhood trauma may have set off the persons mind to perform these acts eg. Sociopath. I also think some males do try to hide their violent acts and feel shameful and secretive about it and try to lead a 'normal' life and can cope like this as they want to be seen as normal in society. For others it is too difficult and there rage and powerful ways are expressed in there daily lives this all comes from personality and also cultural and society affects which plays a big role in how this person hides /shows themselves. These violent acts by males need to be better managed and controlled in society and i believe psychological help is the best answer. #S327#UOW16 #tut9 #mon1530

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