Who will we be after the people we've become to survive?
My first lessons in hate came from my parents. They fought dirty. When angry, they'd use your worst secrets & fears against you. Once you realize that an adult sees anger as an excuse to be cruel, you know their love is always conditional.
Ever since, I've always watched how people manage their anger.
But these days, there's so much trauma tied up in our cruelty. So it's an open question:
Will we stay this cruel, after we've survived?
Oh, man. I'm so sorry that was your reality growing up. And what you describe explains a lot of the cruel for cruelty's sake ppl.
Sounds like you've overcome any residual garbage that could affect your own behavior, though.
Soooo many people cannot do that.
I salute you.