Why Violence, Hatred, and Cruelty Are Becoming Society’s New Normal

Humanity needs Revival. Humanity needs Us.

“Empathy is the first casualty when suffering becomes entertainment.” 

Opening: The News That Sparked a Question 

Yesterday, when my husband opened the newspaper, he immediately flung it onto the bed, as if he had come across some truly shocking or terrible news. When I asked him about it, he said in exasperation, “What kind of trend has taken hold in the country? Anyone is killing anyone—especially girls.” 

His words stayed with me throughout the day. The incident involving the gang rape of a minor girl in Rajasthan had already disturbed me deeply, but what troubled me even more was a question that refused to leave my mind: 

Has committing a crime become frighteningly easy, or has the fear of the law simply disappeared? 

Why have crimes become so uncontrollable and horrific?

The question sometimes arises whether the air has become so polluted, or people’s thinking so warped, that they commit inhumane acts without regard for the consequences; meanwhile, justice is neither swift nor properly enforced. 

The result is that crimes are rising rather than declining, and the confidence of those with malicious intent is growing.

The most shocking aspect is when perpetrators of heinous crimes secure bail by leveraging money, influence, and caste dynamics. 

This sends a dangerous message to the public that anyone can commit a crime without fear, believing the law is powerless against them. 

Such evasion of punishment poses a threat to a civilized and inclusive society.

Crime Is No Longer Shocking—It Is Becoming Routine 

Looking at the criminal records of the past few years, it appears that the laws meant to curb crime are struggling to deter offenders. Every day brings another horrifying headline—murders within families, assaults on women, children becoming victims of unimaginable cruelty, and relationships ending in brutal violence. 

The incident involving the gang-rape of a minor girl in Rajasthan deeply disturbed me. It seems to me that either the fear of the law has completely vanished from people’s minds, or the law no longer holds any sway over them.

One partner pushing the other off a mountain peak, one partner poisoning the other, a woman hiring someone to murder her partner, the brutal killing and dismemberment of a live-in partner following a discussion about marriage—such incidents are a massive stain on the civilized world.

How Crime Changes the Way We Think 

Just yesterday, my mother told me that a woman from our neighborhood, who had two young children, had passed away unexpectedly. 

What startled me was not the news itself, but my own reaction. 

Instead of assuming it was a tragic natural death, my first thought was whether someone close to her had harmed her.

That realization frightened me. Constant exposure to violent news seems to have changed the way many of us think.

Have We Become Less Human? 

• As technology advances, shouldn’t we become more civilized?
• Shouldn’t education make us kinder rather than merely smarter?
• Shouldn’t progress enhance our humanity rather than diminish it?

There was a time when people instinctively rushed to help someone in distress. Today, many reach for their phones before offering a helping hand. 

If someone falls, countless people choose to record a video rather than lift them. 

Misfortune has become content. Another person’s suffering has become entertainment. 

How can someone’s misfortune become a topic of discussion? 

How can we be so callous that, instead of extending a helping hand to ensure someone’s safety, we pull out our phones to record a video of them?

Isn’t this behavior contrary to what we have written in our numerous books? We are not practicing what we preach—how strange, isn’t it?

Are We Mistaking Ritual for Humanity? 

Goswami Tulsidas wrote:

“परहित सरिस धरम नहि भाई, पर पीड़ा सम नहि अधमाई।”

This line means:

There is no religion greater than serving others, and no sin worse than causing suffering to another.

Yet, as soon as we finish reading these edifying thoughts, we revert to our ordinary state—with all our shortcomings… This serves as a mirror of reality for those who claim that being religious makes a person humble and humane.

Even if we set aside the issue of taking the law into one’s own hands for a moment, it appears that inhumanity has so completely gripped people’s hearts and minds that they have entirely forgotten how to reason.

It seems that people no longer consider it necessary to show compassion. Or perhaps they feel that showing kindness on certain occasions could invite unnecessary trouble, as the other person’s intentions are often unclear—leaving a well-meaning individual trapped in a difficult situation for no reason.

I remember our elders always saying that those who do good for others never come to any harm.

They also used to say that God keeps an account of everyone’s good deeds, so one should perform good deeds without hesitation; one is sure to be rewarded.

“The true measure of civilization is not how we live, but how we treat those who can do nothing for us.” 

• Yet why do cruelty, hatred, and violence continue to grow?
• If every faith teaches compassion and respect for human life, why do these values not always find equal expression in our everyday conduct? 

When Trust Begins to Die –

The days of doing good deeds are long gone, aren’t they? 

People are becoming increasingly selfish; no one thinks about anyone other than themselves.

It is not strange for people to be selfish; after all, if you do not prioritize yourself, there is no one more foolish than you. Who else will fight your battles or speak up for you? These things are essential for your survival.

I agree that one should be altruistic, but not to the extent of neglecting one’s own well-being; the world is often so self-serving that the very person you helped today may not step forward to assist you tomorrow. In fact, if you were to remind them, they might flatly deny it or claim that they never asked for your help in the first place.

People are deeply affected by such things, and whenever the opportunity arises, they immediately try to exact revenge. This sets off a never-ending cycle of lies, deceit, fraud, and backstabbing.

Yes, if someone manages to retain their humanity even after being betrayed, they will step out of your life. They won’t harm you or speak ill of you, but they certainly won’t stand by your side—after all, it isn’t easy to erase the bitterness left in one’s heart.

Therefore, it is better to be selfish in a way that ensures we do not have to pay a price for our selfishness in the future. This is a pressing need of the times, as people are changing their natural inclinations and are often seen forgetting both their good deeds and their good upbringing.

Understanding Sadistic Behaviour 

When I think about incidents of cruelty and violence against other human beings, I am compelled to wonder whether some people have begun to derive satisfaction from the suffering of others. Psychologists call this tendency ‘sadistic behavior’.

Sadistic behavior is characterized by deriving pleasure or satisfaction from inflicting pain, suffering, humiliation, fear, or distress on others. 

Last year, an eight-year-old student at a prominent school in Rajasthan took her own life by jumping from the school building. She had become fed up with the constant bullying by her classmates.

A 28-year-old man from Faridabad took his own life because he could not bear the humiliation inflicted by his wife.

Sadistic behavior often involves a deliberate intent to cause physical or emotional harm, and it can manifest in various forms such as emotional manipulation, bullying, or even physical violence.

Trolling someone online, mistreating content creators, engaging in cyber or physical bullying, belittling those you dislike, or resorting to violence when feeling left out—these are various behaviors that distance you from the true meaning of humanity.

People with sadistic tendencies find pleasure in the suffering of others, which can reinforce their harmful behaviors.

Recognizing and addressing sadistic behavior is imperative, as it has a profound impact on both the perpetrator and the victim. 

This behavior perpetuates a cycle of abuse and leads to lasting psychological consequences that cannot be ignored.

My Own Inner Conflict 

As a proponent of Gandhian ideals, I firmly believe in non-violence; yet, it becomes extremely difficult to suppress my natural reactions in the face of disturbing events.

I must admit something honestly.

After reading such horrifying news day after day, even I sometimes find myself reacting with anger instead of compassion.

As technology advances, shouldn’t we become more civilized and cultured? Shouldn’t we conduct ourselves in accordance with the definition of a ‘human being’ as described in our books for centuries?

Laws alone cannot create a compassionate society. 

Humanity is not lost in a single day. It fades gradually—every time we ignore someone in need, laugh at another person’s humiliation, celebrate hatred, or remain silent in the face of injustice. Likewise, humanity is revived through countless small acts of kindness, courage, and empathy that often go unnoticed. 

Conclusion: Humanity Needs Revival 

Laws alone cannot create a compassionate society.

Governments can only punish criminals.

Courts can only deliver justice.

Technology can only make life easier.

But it is families, schools, communities, and our own consciences that can preserve humanity.

We are unwittingly drifting away from our humanity, and this is deeply distressing for the coming generation, which is already witnessing a world grappling with serious environmental issues, hatred, and wars.

A country does not truly become developed when its buildings begin to touch the sky, but rather when its people do not let another human being suffer in solitude. This should be the guiding principle of our lives; only then will this habitable planet transform into a truly lovely one.