Self-hatred

Self-hatred is personal self-loathing (hatred of oneself) or low self-esteem^[1] which may lead to self-harm.

In psychology and psychiatry

The term "self-hatred" is used infrequently by psychologists and psychiatrists, who would usually describe people who hate themselves as "people with low self-esteem".^[1] Self-hatred, self-guilt and shame are important factors in some or many mental disorders, especially disorders that involve a perceived defect of oneself (e.g. body dysmorphic disorder). Self-hatred is also a symptom of many personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder,^[2] as well as mood disorders like depression. It can also be linked to guilt for someone's own actions that they view as wrongful, e.g., survivor guilt.^{[citation needed]}

In social groups

Self-hatred by members of ethnic groups, gender groups, and religions is postulated to be a result of internalization of hatred of those groups from dominant cultures.

Catholics

Self-hating or "anti-Catholic Catholics" are terms of critique by traditionalist or conservative Catholics to describe modernist or Cafeteria Catholics, especially those who demand the changes to doctrines regarding human sexuality and abortion, who repeat secularist critiques of the Catholic Church without questioning them, or who place the platform of their political party above Church teachings.^[3][4][5]

Jews

Theodor Lessing, in his book, Jewish Self-Hatred (1930), identified this as a pathology, “a manifestation of an over identification with the dominant culture and internalization of its prejudices.” There have been studies from sources stated in the scholarly research, “mental illness in Jews often derived from feelings of inferiority and self-hatred resulting from persecution and their subordinate position in society.”^{[citation needed]}

The term has been used to label American Jews accused of hiding their identity “by converting or intermarrying and raising their children in another faith” to overcome sociopolitical barriers due to antisemitism in the United States.^[6]

LGBT+ individuals

Internalized homophobia refers to negative stereotypes, beliefs, stigma, and prejudice about homosexuality and LGBT people that a person with same-sex attraction turns inward on themselves, whether or not they identify as LGBT.^[7][8][9]

Related concepts

Self-deprecation

Self-deprecation is the act of belittling, undervaluing, or disparaging oneself, or being excessively modest.^[10] It can be used in humor and tension release.^[11]

Self-harm

Self-harm is a condition where subjects may feel compelled to physically injure themselves as an outlet for depression, anxiety, or anger, and is related with numerous psychological disorders.^[12][13][14]

In some cases, self-harm can lead to accidental death or suicide. It is not a definitive indicator, however, of a desire either to commit suicide or even of its consideration.^[15]

See also

• Anti-Germans (political current) – Theoretical and political tendencies within the radical left mainly in Germany and Austria
• Anti-Japaneseism – Theory from the New Left of Japan
• Internalized oppression – Concept in social justice theory
• Sadomasochism – Giving or receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation
• White guilt – Guilt felt by some white people for harm resulting from racist treatment of ethnic minorities

References

Further reading

• Sander L. Gilman Difference and Pathology: Stereotypes of Sexuality, Race and Madness Cornell University Press, 1985. ISBN 978-0-8014-1785-6

This page was last edited on 10 March 2024, at 17:47