In the current digital era, the rise of social media has made insulting public figures and scrutinizing their private lives a common trend. While many engage in this as a pastime, there are potent psychological factors and serious religious and ethical implications behind it. It is worth examining why people find such gratification in disparaging others through both a psychological lens and the teachings of the Buddha.
From a psychological standpoint, the primary characteristic seen in those prone to insulting celebrities is low self-esteem. Individuals dissatisfied with their own lives derive temporary mental gratification by demeaning someone at a higher social level. Through thoughts like, “No matter how rich or important he is, he has no character,” they subconsciously attempt to mask their own inferiority complex and project a sense of superiority over the target.
Envy and malice are also driving factors. The discomfort felt toward another’s resources, popularity, or appearance manifests as an insult. In psychology, this is often linked to Schadenfreude, finding pleasure in the misfortune or setbacks of others. When a public figure faces a crisis or a private secret is leaked, crowds gather to insult them as a means of soothing their own internal envy.
This condition is further exacerbated by Online Anonymity. Individuals who appear virtuous in physical society often release their violent and primal instincts when hidden behind fake accounts. They do not hesitate to hurl vitriol behind a smartphone screen that they would be too afraid to utter face-to-face. This suggests that a person’s true morality is revealed when they believe their identity is unknown.
The Buddhist Perspective: Verbal Misconduct and Defilements
According to Buddhism, insulting is a primary way of accumulating unwholesome kamma (akusala). Buddhism places immense importance on verbal discipline. An insulter directly falls prey to the four modes of Verbal Misconduct (vaci-duccarita):
- Sammapphalapa: Idle chatter or empty words.
- Pharusavaca: Harsh or abrasive speech.
- Musavada: Lying or falsehoods.
- Pisunavaca: Slander or backbiting.
The Dhamma teaches that character assassination and the spreading of false information regarding someone are grave demeritorious acts.
Envy (issa) and malice (dosa) are defilements (kilesa) that pollute the mind. Buddhism encourages the cultivation of Mudita (Appreciative Joy): the ability to rejoice in the success of others. However, the mindset of an insulter is rooted in the polar opposite: hatred. According to the Parabhava Sutta, a person who wanders about finding fault and slandering others is on the path to decline. In the Vasala Sutta, the Buddha proclaimed that one becomes an “outcast” (vasala) not by birth, but by low actions such as insulting others.
Karmic Consequences
Regarding Karmic outcomes (Kamma-vipaka), it is said that those who insult others face social contempt in this life and an unhappy rebirth in the next. According to the Cullakammavibhanga Sutta, blaming, insulting, and reviling others can lead to being born “insignificant” (alpesakhya-lacking influence/fame) and unattractive in future births. It is a vivid illustration that one must reap what one sows.
The consequences of this “insult culture” are devastating for both the individual and society. The victimized public figure may be pushed toward extreme stress, depression, or even tragic decisions like suicide. Conversely, the insulter’s mental and physical health declines as their mind remains constantly clouded by hatred.
The solution lies in developing ‘Yoniso Manasikara’ the faculty of “appropriate attention” or wise reflection. Rather than reacting immediately to what is seen or heard, one should reflect on whether a reaction is beneficial to oneself and others. By following the principle of “Attanam Upamam Katva” (Treating others as oneself), we realize the pain we would feel if the roles were reversed.
Ultimately, insulting public figures is a public exhibition of one’s own inner unhappiness and psychological malaise. If the time and energy spent criticizing others were redirected toward personal growth and purifying the mind, it would bring great peace to oneself and society. A society rooted in Right Speech (Samma Vaca) and Loving-kindness (Metta) leaves no room for such ignoble acts.
An insult is less a weapon aimed at another and more a deadly poison that degrades one’s own spirituality. Every moment we spend criticizing the popularity or privacy of another, we display not their weakness, but our own restlessness, envy, and inferiority. Though words spoken in the anonymity of cyberspace may vanish from a screen, the resulting karmic shadow follows us like a silhouette. We must be nurtured by enough humanity to realize that a public figure is also a human being of flesh and blood, capable of feeling pain.
True intelligence lies in looking into the mirror of the mind to identify one’s own unwholesome roots before trying to “correct” the world. The tranquility gained from practicing Mudita and verbal discipline is far superior to the fleeting pleasure derived from demeaning others.
By adopting the Buddha’s words “Do not harm others, using yourself as the analogy” it is our collective responsibility to build a respectful society that values humanity over insult. We should be those who nourish others through thought and word, rather than those who destroy the peace of human society.
©️Satipatthana Magazine