Do we need some kind of -ism for jerks? Or maybe just the term "jerks" is enough.

I fucking hate jerks. But sometimes jerks move in and out being classified as jerks, probably myself included, probably you too, dear reader. But when they're being jerks I fucking hate jerks. But if I haven't met them yet, then I haven't defined them as a jerk because in my life's experience I've met jerks that cross any and all classification boundaries; tall and short, old and young, male and female, American, Chinese, Canadian, Australian, Vietnamese, German, white-skinned, dark-skinned, olive-skinned, blue eyed, hazel-eyed, blonde-haired, ginger-haired, bald, purple-mohawked (that's actually not true, I've never come a cross a purple-mohawked jerk, but I'm sure someone has).

Everyone should rally against jerks, but there's no way to recognise one quickly and easily without going through the unpleasant interaction that tars them with the jerk brush.

And that's why we should dislike them, because they disguise themselves so well, and that's a learned skill of the jerk, because it'd be too difficult to go around being a jerk if there was an easy way to tell them all apart from the majority of nice people that make the world worthwhile enough to put up with jerk-kind.

> Do we need some kind of -ism for jerks?

We have one. narcissism, which is characterized by: Lack of empathy. Having an inflated sense of self-importance. Entitlement. Manipulative behavior. Needs constant admiration. Expects special treatment. Exaggerates achievements and talents. Reacts negatively to criticism, immediately will go on the offense. Being preoccupied with fantasies about power, success, and beauty. Secret anxiety due to feelings of inadequacy.

In man's search for meaning the author draws the same conclusion, describing Jewish prisoners who would cheat their fellow inmates for a priveledged position, and Nazi soldiers, who were also a bit hungry, because food was scarce, sneaking food to give to prisoners of the labor camps.

"There are two races of men in this world - the decent man and the indecent man."

-Viktor Frankl, 'Man's Search for Meaning'

Are you then claiming that 70% of Russians are jerks? Because that's the current approval rate of Putin according to the latest post-war poll by Levada. [1]

[1] https://www.levada.ru/2022/02/04/odobrenie-institutov-polozh...

Not if the media are state controlled.

Yes, ergo this take of ”people are either good or evil, regardless of country, religion etc.” is proven false

My grandfather was an actual Nazi, so I kinda know what the wrong culture can make of people.

The common people are not "all the same". They can be made to hate and kill others, and under some leaders, in some eras and so on.

Yet — extrapolating from predominant culture in a country to everybody living in it is wrong as well.

I grew up in a 40% right wing environment and I got out of there as soon as I had the chance. Others either don't have the chance or can't so it because other things bind them to a place. The free spirits in such places suffer immensly. Yet you could argue that you are not helping them if you just tolerate their outrageous leaders.