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Showing posts with label hate begets hate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hate begets hate. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

All you don't need is hate...

As I was thinking about the All you need is love... post, I had thought about a post on the hate--often portrayed as the opposite of love.  Some would say, the opposite of love is indifference, but I digress.

I thought my blog post should be on the hurt and the consequences of hate.  By that I mean personal animosity.  What lead to this post ideas was when I read and saw a story the other day about a senseless assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey.  To me it was another shocking reminder of the darkness in this world that is hate.  Unfortunately, I'm not immune to the poison which is hate.  When confronted such senseless and hate-filled acts of violence, if I allow it, my reaction is one of hatred and wishing horrible things toward the person who committed such a destructive act.  But, I digress...

So, what are the potential consequences of hate (not necessarily in order of importance):


  • Poison in our soul.  Those who have been in a twelve step or recovery type program (and many who haven't) have heard an old saying attributed to numerous people: Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.  While our resentment or hatred might inflict damage on the other person, often times most of the damage ends up being inflicted on ourselves.  If someone at school, at work or elsewhere does (or doesn't) do something that causes us to hate them, ultimately who is hurt more if we are lying awake in bed at night hating them?  Who is hurt more if we can't focus on the things that benefit us due to our hatred?  Who is hurt more when the poison of hatred causes us stress?
  • Hate begets hate and leads to destruction within families, communities, societies and the world.  As I indicated to my daughter, I feel  that 9/11 was an extreme result of hatred festering in the heart of many.  A single act of hatred towards Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28th, 1914 set in motion a chain of events that led to the two most destructive wars in world history.  An anarchist's bullets led to ultimatums, reprisals and declarations of war starting in 1914, kicking off what we now know as WWI.  Though, open hostilities ceased on Nov. 11th, 1918 (now Veteran's Day), the resentment and hatred reared its ugly head in the 1930s again, culminating with the invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939 to kick off what we now know as WWII.  A single act of hatred led to the death of countless millions.  Now, every expression of hatred will not lead to such an extreme result.  Let's just say hatred rarely starts out big and left unchecked will like a cancer grow.
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Before I finish this topic matter, I want to address a few things.  


Ever since I was a kid, I have valued life, peace and have hated seeing people fight.  It hurts when I see my fellow man injuring or hurting another, especially when it is a kid.  However, I know in my heart that this is a fallen world and it is inevitable.  That being said, while we can't control how others behave or react, we can control how we think and act and can set a good example for our kids and our fellow man by not repaying hatred.  Once again, that doesn't mean continuously taking abuse or not defending yourself, but what it does mean is not amplifying hatred by repaying it.

- Rich

* I have said a joke for years that "I am violently opposed to violence".  However, this election year has shown me that there are people "hateful in their pursuit of opposing what they see as hatred".  To me this is the antithesis of repaying hate with love.


For an alternative take on hate where it is okay?, go to: Hated it! Is it so wrong to hate sometimes?