No matter the language, there is one word I really don’t like. I find the concept of it more regrettable than the sound or meaning. That word is hate.
Hate is a human emotion, but it fuels behaviors that I had hoped would have vanished by now. They haven’t.
In their private lives, humans mostly use hate to blame others and reassure themselves that someone else is responsible for their behavior, not them. They reserve it for situations where they are unable to live with what they’ve done, so they blame and hate someone else for it. They are then able to continue their lives with this hate inside them, believing that it somehow releases them from accountability for that matter.
Leaders found out early on that hate is a powerful tool. Many human atrocities throughout history are strongly linked with hate.
As with most things in human history, hate is bound to resurface stronger than before every few years.
I would argue that we are living in such a time, a time of immense hate.
Hate spreads like a virus in specific environments filled with uncertainty, confusion, hardship, ignorance, and denial of historical events.
The desire to move forward to a brighter tomorrow is often fueled by hate.
Recently, it has become so easy to hate that many people have once again started believing that hating those who want to slow down or stay behind is the only way to move forward. Once again, it has gone to a place of violence, of lives lost in the name of hate and political structures that sanctify hate to achieve their goals. It has become ugly.
I have always believed that real human progress does not come from strides in science and technology, but rather from people’s desire to learn and respect those around them.
It would seem that, for now at least, we are not progressing as human beings. We are in a cycle of ignorance and hate, and we can only hope to see it break soon.
For now, I urge you to take responsibility for your lives and the way you act. Continue your efforts to be better than you were yesterday. Find ways to move forward with responsibility and accountability. Stop blaming others for your life’s path.
Stay educated for a better tomorrow,
Aviram