Why We Hate On Politicians

Loretta G Breuning Ph.D. 

is a "founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, which helps people manage the ups and downs of their mammal brain," (Psychology Today). She published an article on September 30, 2015 on Psychology Today titled: Why We Love to Hate Politicians. Dr. Breuning addresses three psychological reasons to why politicians get on our nerves: Common enemies create a sense of belonging, challenging the power structure feels good to the mammal brain, and that each brain sifts information to fit its preconceptions.

In my Government Supplementary Instruction (SI) class, my peers always end up ranting together about Donald Trumps stupidity. It makes us furious to know such a man is running for President, and yet its comforting to know that we aren't the only ones who think this. Dr. Breuning explains this scenario through the study that; "animals bond for protection from common enemies, and we’ve inherited a brain that feels good when it builds social alliances." Also demonstrated in school cliques, humans naturally like to be in groups because it supports their inner nature of man that they have protection and survival in bigger likable numbers. 

Have you ever ranted an opposition to something through social media or your friends, but when it involves direct contact you suppress? Mammals challenge others when they know they are safe, and tend to back away otherwise. We feel more open about talking smack about our politicians because our mammal brain is cheering for survival. However, if we know we are on the losing side, such as claiming Trump is the best president in the world, we begin to feel a lack of survival instinct. 

Lastly a lot of us hate on politicians because everyone else around us do too. For example, my parents will hate on Bush any moment they could. I grew up listening to their rants, and according to Dr. breuning; "Early experience is what counts because that’s when your pathways are myelinated." Our brains start to sift information and wire up similarly to the same way our close family and peers's brains do. I don't hate Bush 24/7 too because of my parents, but I do find hating on politicians a norm. 

However, this psychological effect doesn't forgive our hate on politicians. As Dr. Breuning puts it: 

Venting feels good, but hating politicians is still hate.

I'm not saying everyone needs to stop hating on politicians, but we should remind ourselves that even though politicians seem like a different species of mammals...they are still mammals. We are mammals who fight for survival, so if we want to be politicians, go right ahead, and if you want to be the politician haters, go be that mammal too; its our way of survival.