Cruelty is subjective. Cruelty also falls on a continuum from deadly to cruel to slightly cruel. Cruelty is hurtful and oppressive. Cruelty can obstruct our success and good living. Cruelty can lead to death and destruction too.
Why are people cruel and what can we do about it?
Oppression
Sometimes cruelty is born in oppression. When people are cornered in oppressive situations, they may react knowingly or unknowingly with cruelty. To define the oppression you are facing and join with others in combatting that oppression can help you to deal with others in respectful ways rather than cruel ways.
Greed and Snobbery
People who are wholly self-focued, greedy and snobby may act cruel simply because they believe they are better than you--their lack of value related to you may promote their heartless cruelty, hurt, and harm.
Modeling
If you are treated with cruelty, you may believe that cruelty is a natural and necessary part of life. You may act in cruel ways because that's how you've been treated. We have to unlearn the cruelty we've seen modeled or experienced and replace that cruelty with honesty, care and dignity.
Frustration, Confusion, Worry, Angst
Sometimes in times of trouble, we don't know what to do and we act with cruelty. We have to take time out to assess the situation, get the help we need and gain the tools to react with as much grace and goodness as we can.
When we face cruelty, we have to be as calm as we can, take time to understand the situation, have empathy for the cruel person and respond with dignity and positive action that deconstructs the cruelty. When cruelty occurs on a grand scale, there's lots of work to do to end the cruelty and mitigate that pain and suffering. There's no place for cruelty in society, and we have to work together to rid our culture of cruelty in ways great and small.