Hate

We are all human. Within every human is the potential for hate. I can’t think of anyone that can say hate didn’t bubble up and escape (even if just a little bit). Hate is powerful. Denying hate is not productive. How we deal with the hate and how we act on our feelings is important.

The recent highly publicized antisemitic attacks made me think hard about my own bias. I recognize that I have bias and I work hard to overcome them. When do those mild bias turn to hate? What makes someone hate a whole group based on something as external as race, religion, sexuality… It is external because none of these things can tell you what type of person they are – kind, passionate, helpful, generous, hurtful, loving, evil…

We talk about addressing hate. Public figures from entertainers to politicians to news media villify the actions, but it doesn’t really address it. It pushes it back into the dark space where it waits and simmers until there is a small fissure in the foundation that lets it boil back through.

I don’t have the answers. I would never claim that I know what is best for anyone but myself. For myself, half the battle is being aware of the potential and the other half is making sure that I turn down the heat before I boil over.