There are sociopaths in our midst and we don't even know it. Someone with a personality disorder manifesting itself in antisocial behaviour and attitudes. It's not something we think about but perhaps it's something we should start.
If you have been around people who demean you to make themselves feel better, you'll know how their behaviour works. They behave with malicious intent, to make themselves feel better and to take the attention off themselves.
It's about control, it's like a fix they've got to have. It's a bullying tactic that makes others feel worse. For those who do it, their behaviour doesn't start and end there, it's probably something they've done for years, and with their parents before them.
It's a sign of them being insecure. They may never acknowledge their actions are as a result of their insecurities; their behaviour is about dominance. They have to try harder to win at being more dominant because that gives them the control over theirs and other people's lives.
A massive contrast to those people, who are happy and confident and who are genuinely happy for other people to be successful. The irony is we can all turn our lives around and become confident and happy.
There is no excuse for this sort of behaviour and in my experience it says a lot about the perpetrator. They are usually a typical bully. As you say, whoever does this they think it helps their self-esteem.
Unfortunately, it can badly affect the recipient so my feelings go to them and not the person handing it out.
Thanks, yes sadly for me I've seen it so many times and had it done to me so many times.
I think our experiences and 'emotional state' have a lot to do with people putting other people down. And as you say 'it can badly affect the recipient.' It absolutely does.