Why Do We Feel Anger... But Nurture Hatred? An Evolutionary Perspective on the Emotional Roots of Intergroup Conflict

Abstract

Anger and hatred are often conflated, yet they serve distinct evolutionary functions. While anger is fast, reactive emotion aimed at correcting behavior, hatred is slower, more deliberate, and aimed at exclusion or elimination. This paper explores the evolutionary roots of both emotions, highlighting their adaptive roles in interpersonal and intergroup contexts. Drawing from evolutionary psychology, affective science, and organizational behavior, we examine how anger facilitates immediate responses to norm violations, whereas hatred develops through narrative reinforcement and identity threats. Understanding this distinction has ethical and practical implications for intercultural management and conflict resolution in organizational settings.