I sometimes wonder how people decide whom they're going to hate, be scared of or consider an enemy. I'm not talking about a situation where we hate a particular person. I'm talking about despising a entire group of people. Certainly, people learn much of their own bigotry from their parents and community. Plus, there are childhood experiences which influence us.
I have a friend who will admit that he doesn't like Black people because some Black children were mean to him when he was a young child in school. I have another friend who hates Asians because his father fought in Viet Nam and passed along his war-based experiences and hatreds to his son. I have another friend who's prejudiced against homosexuals because she's a devout Christian and believes the bible condemns homosexuality. I know a woman who hates alcoholics and drug addicts because her mother was an addict and abused her when she was little. Adolf Hitler used hatred toward Jews as a way to unify a country.
We all know though, that hatred is really just an excuse to not look inward. If we allow ourselves the dubious luxury of hatred, then we don't have to address our own inner demons. It's much easier and comfortable for me to be angry at you than it is for me to be angry at me.
So, in spite of this honesty and knowledge, what group of people do I hate and why? Will that hatred improve the quality of my life today?
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| Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany |
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