This article presents a new theory of hate: REal Hate In Context. The theory has five subtheories. The first is a triangular subtheory of hate comprising three components: negation of intimacy, passion, and commitment. The second is a subtheory of stories of hate. The third is a subtheory of the real-world contexts that generate, encourage, or discourage hate; the fourth is a theory, FLOTSAM, of how hate is propagated; and the fifth is a subtheory of reactions people can have to the spread of hate—to join in the hate, to oppose the hate, and everything in between. Instigators seek to spread hate by encouraging stories of hate and creating, through these stories, strong triangles of hate. The instigators use a number of techniques to propagate hate through different levels of the environment. And people then can react to the propagation of hate in a variety of ways. Hate can be combated through understanding of the machinations of toxic leaders, critical thinking, wisdom, love, and the study of history. Whether or not we hate is our choice. We all can decide not to hate and to fight it wherever and whenever we can.
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