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‘In a crowd, it feels good when we do bad to our enemies’: how anger becomes contagious
Usually, individuals don’t want to be angry. In a group, however, negative emotions can rile the tribe. On the streets of London, Ed Coper felt it first hand
TL;DR
- Individual anger is typically mitigated, but in groups, negative emotions intensify and spread like contagion.
- Historical examples like the MayDay 2K protests and the Paris Commune illustrate how group emotions can lead to uncharacteristic and extreme behaviors.
- Online environments, through anonymity and group dynamics, can amplify anger and negative emotions, similar to real-world crowds.
- Collective emotional experiences can provide a sense of identity, belonging, and empowerment, making even negative emotions feel rewarding in a group context.
- While collective anger can be a powerful tool for social change and cohesion, it can also be manipulated by 'angertainment' to create division.
- The contagious nature of anger, particularly 'moral anger', is more potent than other emotions and can lead to collective action or destructive behavior.