We live in a world of contrast and clashing realities right now.
We are also efficiently pushed in an on-going battle of opinions and belligerent perspectives that spin out of control in too many places.
Hateful narratives and aggressive behaviors (fueled by media and by those who quietly really benefit from the chaos) leave little room for constructive, cooperative endeavors between opponents toward peace and balance.
It feels dicey.
What is hatred but fear on steroids?
Indeed the most hateful are always the most fearful.
Afraid of whatever “the other” is or stands for. Scared of either imaginary threats amidst ignorance and propaganda, or frightened by dreadful injustice.
Either way, the stem is deep, gut-seated fear.
And there is always a rationale behind the rejection, the division, the display of loathing.
That rationale is always skewed, always biased, always serving a very few, but it has the appearance of truth and legitimacy.
There is a potential barbarian in each one of us.
Yet I believe most people are essentially good people.
And most of us would be appalled at being called ” hateful”.
There is a large spectrum of hate taking place in various forms and many places, from belittling, disparaging, bullying, to abusing gravely. Not to mention the extreme exertion of hatred displayed in murders, genocides and any organized assassinations.
And yet, for every single hater there is what feels like a good reason.
Paradoxically, a lot of it could be diffused and recycled in much more creative endeavors if we were wise enough as a species to pause and see how self-destructive it is.
How when we hate anyone, we actually hate ourselves…
We all have the very same basic needs and it could be easy enough to meet on those universal grounds and respect the spark of Life we each carry.
But we stay hooked to our beliefs, and harden them as we go, polishing our anger , justifying our outrage and nursing our grievances.
What we ignore most of the time is that no matter how legitimate they may feel and be argued for, these feelings are always of the lowest energy possible.
Hatred is the most depleting, toxic, corrosive, humane emotion.
It feels primal and instinctual, but it is always, always sparked and sustained by thoughts about the object of our wrath.
And further more, its energy is the same no matter how it was sparked.Of course there is a large palette of intensities and behaviors but the nature of hatred is always our basest way to be.
It doesn’t matter how legitimate we can call it.
No matter who started it. No matter what was done to me.
No matter how vile my ennemy may look.
When I let myself hate, my hatred is exactly the same as theirs.
When I hate, I become a hater.
Hatred across the board, has one and only one vibration. The very same for all.
As a human being living among others, as a person who cares deeply for my planet, for justice, for beauty, and for peace, I do remind myself of this often.
Because if I want to have a good life and be healthy, if I want to make a difference in the smallest way, if I long for a safer world and a brighter future, I can’t let myself devolve into hating anything or anyone.
Even if it is tempting at times.
Instead I want to slow down my train of thoughts.
I want to turn off the noise.
I want to make time and space for self-nurturing and self-care, to allow my nervous system to settle; to permit my overdriven emotions to calm down and get back in touch with my true nature.
I want to be able to see the very simple very basic humanity in everyone, including me; that imperfect, always evolving, always paradoxical state of being that we all have in common.
And even if and when we have to take action in front of the absolute unacceptable evil, even when the war, the psychopath, or the madness need to be stopped, we need to have enough consciousness, enough clarity, to do what’s needed with compassion and equanimity.
There is no chance for us to live in peace if we do not make peace inside first.
There is no chance to live in a loving environment if we let ourselves slip into hating.
We are essentially good people getting lost sometimes, and when we share, when we help each other, when we laugh together, we expand, we thrive, we feel wonderful.
Let’s fear less.
Let’s love more.
It’s the only way we can truly grow up.
Take care.
Emmeline
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