Sociality and hostility: a pernicious mix

This paper will caution against a ‘cosy’ view of George Kelly’s notion of sociality since the role relationships that are facilitated by construing the other’s construction processes are not necessarily benign. It will be argued that it is when sociality is combined with hostility, in Kelly’s sense of extorting validational evidence for constructions, that it is most likely to become pernicious. Examples of noxious sociality will be presented from various different relationship domains, both at the personal and international level, including terrorism, torture, and bullying. There will also be consideration of the strategies, particularly dehumanization, that the individual who engages in such behavior may employ to avoid guilt. The role of commonality in addition to sociality in providing an ethical basis for actions will be stressed.