The Paradox of Hatred
The bearer of hatred tends to be seen as the antagonist. A racist is almost always cast as the one to be, well, hated. This is strange since, after all, those oppressed by hatred are indeed victimized by it, but their oppression is salient, like salt to a wound. No doubt this hurts more in the moment of affliction and can become habitual and even institutional, but, nonetheless, those who are hated are blessed in a strange way. Many who are hated grow hateful themselves, of course, and it is that result—learning to hate—that seems most terrible and heinous. But those who know nothing but hatred in the first place—you and me, in other words—are indeed the ones who seem to be the most oppressed. Not by the hate-filled antagonist, but, instead, by the antagonism of hate itself.
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I concur. Being hated does not automatically make one unhappy – but only an unhappy person hates. Hatred is self-destruction, with the unfortunate byproduct of attempting to drag others down with him.
To not hate back (which of course does not mean that one should not take a ‘rise against a sea of troubles’) is actually a ‘selfish’ act. It’d add self-injury to the injury inflicted by another to catch the fever of hatred.
“Love your enemies” (again, it does not preclude defense, even to the death) is good advice. Hating someone gives that someone power over you. The prime example of hatred’s filthy offspring is the black ghetto mindset. It internalized the prejudice of old and turned it into virtues, proof of “blackness”, street cred, becoming what the ancestors were accused of being.
Let me quote Gautama Buddha
“He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who brood on such thoughts do not still their hatred.
“He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who do not brood such thoughts still their hatred.
Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.
MLK Jr. Used to say that “hatred [of enemies] is too great a burden to bear.”