Escalating violence persists because backing down is itself humiliating

Evidence

“When a humiliated mind is left to reflect on its own destruction,” writes Dr. Evelin Lindner, “it may become convinced that it must inflict even greater pain on the perpetrator. So begins a vicious cycle of violation and vindication that both sides believe they are obligated to pursue…. Neither side can break free because being the first to back down would be a further humiliation, so they remain trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of mayhem and murder.” — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 516

Categorization

• APHORISMS: A genuine insight about escalation dynamics: retreat is reframed as shame, so no one can exit the cycle.