Quite simply put, people are mean because, on some level, they are hurting and are not in alignment with who they really are. They lash out and try to project that hurt on to someone else in the hope that they will feel better, when really all they are doing is exacerbating that inner discontent within themselves. Hard as it is to do, when someone comes across as mean, say a prayer for them because they're really not in a feel good place and are probably unaware of why they are acting the way they are. You cannot act mean with Awareness.

Unfortunately, as LeeAnn pointed out, kids can only do what they are taught and until they are taught otherwise or awaken to who they really are, they will continue to act out their 'meanness'.

Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!! Hope you have a happy, healthy, prosperous and 'enlightened' year in 2010!!!

One of the dogs we adopted was shot and abandoned...now doing pretty well, so I know this very subject preys on my mind as well. Some kids are brought up in homes where the value of an animal life means nothing to them and to kill is sport. This is sad, but this is what their parents teach them and is the familial culture. Why? Good question. I think it's like child abuse in that it is passed from one generation to another often times. I also remember from my criminal justice classes in college that nearly all serial killers began with cruelty to animals. Some of those folks came from normals homes and their case, something went wrong in childhood or infancy to damage them.

But why are people mean to each other? Selfishness, preoccupation, needing to win, lack of compassion. Wow, there are so many reasons one can be mean and selfish; either momentarily or most of the time, as some are.

OK, seems as I write that I have not many answers, but I vented, so I will see what others have to say now!

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate the holiday.

Well, why are people mean I am going to give a answer that some will think is not right because we manifest our own reality which is true but other people are manifesting their according to what they think and speak.

I have always heard they someone who will kill animals a lot will kill humans they are depraved down to the root level of their bones and maybe into their souls.

Yes, their are some where someone has been real mean to them. Or they are trained to be mean and bad if not than they are beaten. Than there are those that are just born that way maybe a curse past on down to future generations.

Now, this is true as well their are some who are prosessed by devils or demons or some other enitity that don't care anything about humans at all and wants to destroy humans and what ever body they occupy.

I have had neighbors kill my dogs who they have grown up around and intentionly kill them and they would watch over the neighborhood and protect them as well.

Some people think they are protect their children from your dogs especially if the children are small. Some people can't stand it if your dog comes over into their yard. Soem can't stand your dog barking. Maybe your dog sometimes cause attention to what they are doing they might think.

I don't know I can not dare go inside some of these mean, hateful, evil, spiteful, and he seems to be sending you a warning as to what he will or want to do.

First of all I would turn this person over to the Lord Jesus Christ and let him handle him. Next I would start speaking about my neighbor who has this gun likes my dog and him and his family are now moving away from here to somewhere else.

I have not tried this about the speaking but I have taken them to Jesus.

Have a very Merry and Happy Christmas to those who celebrate Christmas and a very happy, properous, and peaceful year of 2010. Jesus said if we will ask him to heal the land and all than he would so let pray for a healing of the land,air, water, food, and the people's hearts and fill the people's heart with love for one another and good health to all.

this question assumes that people are mean to each other...if meanness manifests itself in your reality, it is your belief system that makes it do so.

Ignorance, and a lack of love and understanding, both received and given out, about themselves and animals too. No-one who understands dogs would expect a dog to be quiet if threatened. You don't reason with any animal like that.

I have a problem with people who can't give the same respect for an animal as another human being. I spent years rescuing, taming and enabling the homing of hundreds of feral and stray cats in the UK before I moved over here 4 years ago. I have just taken in another feral kitten (making 5 rescue cats at home now!) not just because of the terrible weather conditions but also partly because the woman that lived next door to them would let her Irish Wolfhound kill any cats or kittens that it came across. I simply don't understand the mentality that likes one species of animal but allows it to kill another, as though they have no value.

You can either try to befriend this boy and teach him to like you and your dog and teach another way of seeing the world (and only you can guage if you think you could trust the boy enough) or keep a watchful eye on your dog from now on and not let him our without being there. TRUST your instincts. You might make a difference for good, or not, according to where your beliefs lay. It may not be your place to be involved.

I disagree with Stingray and think the Abraham–Hicks' list of emotions is just a mishmash of emotions they could list. There has been no formal research on this emotions model and frankly I don't think either Abraham Or Esther have the academic qualifications to make judgement on such a complex topic such as human emotions and behavior that has been under proper scientific study for at least the last 100 years.

One reliable list of emotions is the plutchik wheel.

Here you will find basic emotions and emotions formed as a result of couples of basic emotions. I have a PDF which explains the other combined emotions other than just the adjacent ones(Eg: Anger + Trust = Dominance - Anticipation + Fear = Anxiety - Joy + Fear = Guilt - Anger + Joy = Pride) Personally this is a much saner theory of emotion.

As far as being mean is concerned. Nature existed before buddha existed and before your ancestors could be termed as homo-sapiens.

In nature, resources are limited and a lot of times there are fights for those resources. If you have the smarts, the strength, group power, special biological weaponry/skills or aggression you stand better chances of getting the resources. Getting the resources means a longer life and possibility of producing an offspring.

Dogs and wolves don't fight each other because they are dumb and don't know fighting is bad. Fighting is a way of problem solving -- Fighting sets a hierarchy - that hierarchy is followed while eating and mating. This makes sure that the strongest male gets the first chance for survival and reproduction. This helps natural selection and gives a chance to the best animals of the species to replicate and keep the genes of that species alive.

We have lived so long in this 'society', 'democracy' and 'equality' type of setting that you don't realize simple facts that everyone is unequal. everyone is different. Assume you're a guy -- You're asked a simple favor that seems slightly out of the ordinary by 3 different people.

1) Very pretty flirtatious woman.
2) Friendly rich guy that very well built with a dominating personality.
3) Ugly poor guy.

Forget who you'd actually do the favor for -- Your initial response to each one is going to be different. We respond differently to different people because we know everyone is different. Everywhere hierarchys are getting established either using aggression, violence display of power or other means -- even in society and your personal interactions - notice it. You will easily get angry at people that are lower in the hierarchy than you and will not easily get angry at people you perceive to be higher than you(compare your child, your company's CEO or his child).

Being aggressive where you know you will not lose much or get harmed is evolutionarily advantageous.

Tell me -- if you were to interact with this boy as compared to another similar boy with more normal and saner behavior. Who do you think you would think 2 times before approaching. I think the kid made his point -- you're not going to venture into his territory without having fear of him lurking around.

Other than that - it just tells you that kids parents did a pathetic job a bringing up that kid. Can't blame him much, probably going through puberty -- with that much testosterone in your body - you'd act in a similar if not the same way.

The sooner you realize a lot of people are mean - they can very easily cheat, hurt and deceive you and then not feel any guilt about it - in-fact they'll also make fun of you once they're done - the better it is for you.

Today if you can sit here on your computer comfortably without the fear of being attacked and have this 'society' thing is because quite a few years ago these aggressive people went out killed all the animals that would be considered a threat to humans or drove them away.

Our territorial expansion was dirty and bloody and was done by the type of people that we put in prison today. I'm sure they were heroes in their times and if you can go through the day without being eaten by another animal be thankful to them.

because people are ignorant! they need to remove the veils of the mind and do god works! they reap what they sow so it will hapen to them also! hopefully they will grow and learn and stop that chain of event!