Final answer:
The Pyramid of Hate shows that the normalization of lower levels of hate such as biased attitudes enable a progression to more severe acts like discrimination and violence, contributing to an environment where extreme behaviors like genocide can occur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Pyramid of Hate illustrates how normalization of lower levels of hate can lead to an increasing acceptance of more severe acts of hate. Starting with biased attitudes at the base, acceptance of these seemingly minor acts of prejudice establishes a norm that can escalate to acts of bias, discrimination, and ultimately violence. When society normalizes biased attitudes and stereotypes, it paves the way for discrimination by creating an environment where the target group is seen as 'other' or less deserving of respect and humane treatment. This can lead to dehumanization, where people are seen as subhuman or akin to pests, which historically has been a precursor to serious violence like genocide. In this environment, what was once considered extreme becomes less shocking, making it easier for individuals to accept and participate in progressively more harmful behaviors against the out-group.
For example, during genocide, normal rules of behavior are abandoned because the targeted group has been stripped of their human characteristics by prior stages of hate. Cultural, legal, and moral norms against murder and violence become weakened when the normalization of dehumanization has taken place. Therefore, every step on the Pyramid of Hate that becomes normalized makes it much easier for society to accept the next, more extreme, level of hate.