Can Hate and Fear be interchangeable?

[kvnchrist]

I've noticed that there seems to be an area where hate and fear seem to run parallel to each other and I was wondering how they would be separated so they can be dealt with accordingly.

I give as example the term Homophobia, which to my mind any phobia would be an unnatural fear of something. How would this fear be recognized and how would those who actually hate gay people be recognized for who they are? I mean, I don't know about anyone else, If I had to pick between the two as to what a person feels about me, I would rather a person fear me than hate me.

Does those who observe the reactions of others use a predetermined image of what a hater acts, would that not be prejudism and would that not make the observer as much of a hater than the supposed hater?

Could the observer be so invested in the mindset that certain words or actions constitute hatred or fear that it becomes inconceivable to them that they could be wrong?

Could a person so convinced that they are right actually undermine their own value by pushing others who might agree with them?

[JimboUK]

We can put Homophobia, Islamophobia and any other InsertVictimGroupHerePhobia to one side, these are meaningless words made up to demonise those who think differently to todays politically correct fascists. As for hate and fear, they can coexist but that doesn't make them interchangeable.

[HeyYou]

Anyone assigning labels to someone else's behavior is going to be doing so from their own bias. I think the whole idea of 'hate crimes' is just another way for the government/court system to extract more money in the form of fines, and restitution.

[kvnchrist]

I think fear and hatred are interchangeable because they are mostly designated by an observer based on a predetermined image of those who broach certain issues. Political correctness gives the perpetrator something to protect and defend in an attempt to be relevant. They place themselves in the roll of defender of others sensitivities in order to feel like a good person, but I've hardly ever heard any of these people put any physical effort in actually doing any good for anyone.

 

They want to silence debate other than promote it.

[Beriallord]

Fear = hate is just more leftist hyperbole.

 

Fear is an instinctual reaction when faced with the possibility of death, injury or loss. Its a self preservation mechanism that we inherited. I can fear grizzly bears without hating them. I just don't want to be anywhere near one. But I hope they exist in their habitats. Hating something, IMO involves you passionately despising something. There are some humans in this world that I legitimately hate, and if one of them were to die in a burning car crash tomorrow, I'd laugh. That's hate. And that sorta hate doesn't require fear playing any factor whatsoever.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Beriallord

[gandalftw]

Yes.

[The_Vyper]

From my own personal experiences, I think that hate and fear are independent of one another. For instance, I have acrophobia (fear of heights), yet I enjoy skydiving and I don't mind flying. In fact, I would be a pilot by now if the FAA would allow me to become one.

 

I also have an irrational hatred of the number 5. I hate seeing it in numeric (5) or word form (five), I hate saying it, reading it, or even typing it (even though I just did that three times), but I'm not afraid of it.

 

It is entirely possible for fear to lead to hatred, and vice versa, but the two don't necessarily go together.