The theory of social dissonance created by Leon Festinger assumes that we all have a strong need for agreement of thoughts and judgments, as well as thoughts and attitudes. However, if these elements contradict each other, the body reacts with a strong tension and striving to immediately reduce the unpleasant emotional state. One way to deal with such a situation is to reformulate the meaning of the words spoken or the attitude adopted. In other words, it is much easier to admit, even to oneself, that you 'hate' a given person or social group than that you hate them.
Following the minority-majority relationship which contribute to the formation of prejudices, it is important to refer to the phenomenon of multiculturalism. In this regard, Poland is one of the least diverse countries in Europe in terms of national and ethnicity, which is a relatively new situation from a historical perspective. As Dr. Małgorzata Głowacka-Grajper explains this phenomenon: “… the Polish state throughout its history has been significantly diversified in terms of nationality, ethnicity and region. Before World War II, national and ethnic minorities constituted over 1/3 of Polish society. However, after the war the situation changed radically. As a result of the Holocaust, changes in borders, displacement of the population, and later the assimilation policy towards the few remaining minorities,Poland has become an almost homogeneous country in terms of national and ethnicity. Only after the initiation of political and social transformations in 1989, the situation changed so that members of individual minorities and regional groups could begin to openly talk about their cultural diversity and strive to obtain the rights that minorities enjoy in many democratic countries ... "
The phenomenon of hate speech has serious consequences, often overlooked or downplayed by defenders of the naively understood freedom of speech. As suggested by Laura Leets and Howard Giles, the reaction to hate speech among minorities (ethnic, sexual, etc.) resembles a reaction to any other traumatic experience and can lead to depression, learned helplessness, addiction, and, as the analyzes of Brian Mullen and Joshua Smyth have shown, even up to suicide attempts. It is worth remembering that today not only minorities, but also we or our loved ones, can very easily become victims of hate speech online. By remaining passive, we also contribute to this.
