Dear James: Must the Haters Hate?

The world seems to have more haters than one could imagine. James Parker explores how collective hating feels, distinguishing between elemental hate—powerful but rare—and everyday, quotidian hate that's become more common due to our fragmented, disconnected society. He suggests ways to address this: unplugging, being nicer to neighbors and ourselves, and avoiding hyper-connected platforms like Amazon Prime. Meanwhile, he’s frustrated with the overuse of "existential" in The Atlantic, noting a lack of compelling synonyms for it.