Reasons why defamation and slander are likely to appear on the Internet

 Reasons why defamation and slander are likely to appear on the Internet

From a spiritual perspective, there is a visible pattern behind why slander and defamation appear so easily on the internet.

If the internet did not exist, would there have been this much slander and defamation?

Even in the Showa era, before the internet, there were people who engaged in slander through letters or telephone calls, but such behavior was often seen as somewhat abnormal for a person.

In the present day, however, those who engage in slander are more likely to be seen as normal people compared to the past.

Psychologist Sigmund Freud proposed the “pleasure principle,” noting that even activities such as eating, sleeping, or using the restroom produce some degree of pleasure, and humans are beings that seek such pleasure.

Extremely speaking, it is not an exaggeration to say that existence itself equals pleasure; when one feels happiness, one can simultaneously experience a strong sense of presence and intense pleasure.

Not being able to feel a sense of presence is not just about lacking presence; the human body and mind mutually influence each other, and this can easily generate stress as a life-threatening signal.

A stress response places a person in a state of either attack or escape toward the source of the stress. In either case, energy is required, and this also makes it easier for the mind and body to produce energy.

One major difference between the era without the internet and the era with the internet is that the internet has made it possible for people to seek a sense of their own presence online.

Within this environment, there are situations where one can feel a strong sense of presence, but conversely, there are also increased risks of losing that sense of presence.

This is one way to look at the phenomenon.

The internet can create situations where one feels a strong sense of presence, while at the same time, in real-life relationships, people may find it harder to feel their own presence.

The diversity of values also leads to the dispersion of values, making it more likely that real-world relationships may not align with one’s values. In such cases, stress may accumulate, and slander or defamation may more easily appear online.

As psychologist Freud suggested, humans are creatures who seek pleasure. The pleasure derived from asserting one’s presence through slander or defamation can become so addictive that it is comparable to a drug, providing a powerful sense of existence.

From a spiritual perspective, such ways of thinking also become visible.

Regarding the growth of the soul, as repeatedly discussed on this blog, the growth of knowledge consists of individual realizations, and the growth of the spirit—spiritual rank—also consists of these individual insights from the heart.

If one’s spiritual rank rises, one’s existential power increases in a mental sense, the creative power to fulfill the hearts of others grows, and with greater awareness, one’s perspective on the world broadens. This is not a difficult concept; it is about maturing spiritually.

Conversely, if one’s spiritual rank is low, one’s existential power is weak in a mental sense. The desire to fulfill one’s own heart tends to take priority over fulfilling the hearts of others, and with fewer insights, one’s perspective on the world becomes narrow. This is not a difficult concept either; it represents spiritual immaturity.

With the spread of the internet, fewer people watch TV or read manga magazines that contribute to spiritual growth, and as a result, people with low spiritual rank are more likely to appear.

Low spiritual rank weakens existential power, increases stress, and the energy to assert one’s presence often manifests as slander or defamation.

A narrow perspective of the mind, a weakened ability to objectively observe oneself, and the prioritization of satisfying one’s own heart over fulfilling others’ hearts combine to create a runaway effect, making slander and defamation more likely to occur.