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Dehumanizing Others In The Article What It Means To Dehumanization

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Dehumanizing Others Dehumanization has been rampant throughout history and a major part of lots of significant historical events. Dehumanization is the act of perceiving or treating another person as less than human. There are many aspects as to why humanity dehumanizes its own people and can be seen in events such as the Holocaust. With such a significant and large issue there are many reasons as to why humanity dehumanizes others, whether it be knowingly or not. Dehumanization can be caused by natural or instilled beliefs within individuals, beliefs such as superiority that is taught or naturally within humans. To begin with, hatred plays a large part in dehumanization and why people do it. When someone has a hatred towards another person …show more content…

It could also be argued that dehumanization is not rooted within humans. In the article, “What it Means to Dehumanize” it focuses on how the act of dehumanization is instilled within people and how some people don’t even realize they are doing it (Maiese 1-2). Dehumanization has so many factors and contributors that it would be nearly impossible to fully fix because people view it as something so horrific that they are unaware they are doing it on a lesser scale. There are precautions and ways to prevent it but there is no way to stop the cycle and change the way of thinking from older generations. So, while people can take precautions to stop this sort of thinking and actions in younger generations, it would be impossible to eradicate it within the older generations and within history. With this sort of change being made to prevent dehumanization there could be an uproar within people and backlash from people who have no urge to change their way of …show more content…

Humanity dehumanizes others because of instinctual and taught beliefs that become entitled within people. Beliefs that lead to dehumanization can range from hatred to the feeling of superiority. Parts of human nature lead to dehumanization alongside aspects that are taught to people. Dehumanization theoretically could be stopped but the process is far more difficult than it may seem. Although it may be difficult, there should be things done to make people more aware of dehumanization on smaller scales. Dehumanization is not always done consciously and more than likely is being done unknowingly.
Works Cited
Smith, David. “Dehumanization, Genocide, and the Psychology of Indifference.” Psychology
Today. 2 December 2011, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/philosophy-dis patches/201112/dehumanization-genocide-and-the-psychology-indifference-0. Accessed 9 January 2023.
Smith, David. “'Less Than Human': The Psychology Of Cruelty.” NPR. 29 March
2011, https://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134956180/criminals-see-their-victims-as-less-th an-human. Accessed 9 January 2023.
Maiese, Michelle. “What it Means to Dehumanize” Beyond Intractability. July 2003, https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/dehumanization. Accessed 9 January 2023.
Pogosyan, Marianna. “Understanding the Psychology of Hate.” Psychology Today. 25 November
2019, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-cultures/201911/understanding

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