Group isolation drives violence by filtering outside information and depersonalizing victims

Evidence

Another consequence of group cohesiveness is the tendency to encourage the pursuit of violence. As isolation deepens, most communication comes from within the group, and information about the outside world is filtered through the group. Growing misperceptions reinforce group beliefs and values. It becomes easier to depersonalize victims and to see the enemy as unmitigatingly hostile. The need to deflect internal conflict that might disturb a vital harmony may lead to extreme aggressiveness toward outside enemies. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4148

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Isolation behind screens, not video games, drives school shootings — Yves Citton, The Ecology of Attention, 287; Group isolation filters perception and enables depersonalizing outsiders. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 4148; Excluding people from the human community precedes mass violence. — Emanuele Castano, On the Perils of Glorifying the…, 33