Health · Mental Health · 8 hrs ago
Psychologist compares wartime hatred to a failure to see human value
A Psychology Today essay connects hatred with Jean Piaget’s idea of “conservation,” the ability to recognize that something stays the same even when it looks different.
The author applies this idea to emotions, arguing that people can lose sight of others’ human value after a shocking or terrible act.
The essay discusses the documentary Naza, which features interviews with 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers involved in an AI-driven targeting system used in Gaza.
The term “naza” was used to estimate how many noncombatants might be killed in strikes on homes where suspected Hamas operatives were believed to be.
Some interviewees later viewed their actions as morally wrong, and one attributed them to hatred after the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel.
The author also says the targeting system could make strikes feel like a video game, separating operators from the reality of people being killed.
The essay presents this as an example of how hatred can distort judgment, but it does not describe any next steps.
A Psychology Today article compares hatred during wartime with a failure to recognize that people retain human value despite their actions.
The author applies Jean Piaget’s idea of “conservation” to emotional responses, calling hatred a form of emotional non-conservation.
The article discusses the documentary Naza, which features interviews with Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers involved in an AI-driven targeting system used in Gaza.
Interviewees described the October 7, 2023 massacre of Israelis as a reason for their actions, and one cited “hatred.”
The author says most of the anonymously interviewed participants later viewed their actions as morally wrong.
- Who
- A Psychology Today author discusses Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers interviewed in the documentary Naza.
- What
- The article compares wartime hatred with a failure to preserve recognition of human value.
- When
- The article was published on October 12, 2026; the documentary interviews were conducted in 2025.
- Where
- Gaza is discussed as the setting for the targeting process; the article appeared in Psychology Today.
- Why
- The author says the October 7, 2023 massacre was viewed as so evil that killing people connected to possible perpetrators was considered justified.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The October 7 massacre killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, three-fourths of them civilians.
Interviews were conducted with 24 mostly male Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers involved in developing and operating the targeting system.
Psychology Today published the article.
- Interviewees
- 24, mostly male Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers
- Interview year
- 2025
- October 7 massacre
- Approximately 1,200 Israelis killed; three-fourths were civilians
- Targeting system
- AI-driven system used in Gaza
- Naza
- Hebrew abbreviation for a term meaning “collateral damage
What people are saying
hatred
Sources
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