The mindset is simple to understand.

It is the self-deluded individual who enjoys abusing and torturing others, and has willfully blinded themselves to anything else.

More beast walking on two legs than human, and meets a relatively objective definition for evil people.

Willfully blinded through acts of false justification, repeated acts of destruction and active torture on others.

These are things if they did it physically they would go to prison or be put to death under capital punishment. Psychological harm isn't being treated with the same rigor as physical harm though.