Why Kind People Join Cruel Crowds: Risk of Collective Sadism
Psychology Today | 14.02.2026 06:47
Sadists are those people who take pleasure in the pain others experience. Although sadism has been recognized as a behavioral concern for over 100 years (Krafft-Ebing, 1898), Millon (2011) identified four distinct expressions of sadism, each driven by different psychological needs. Understanding these forms helps us recognize how cruelty shows up in everyday life and in broader social movements.
