Hate fosters love.
And as much of an oxymoron as that statement is, it's true.
I bet a lot of you are wondering how I came to this ironic conclusion. But if you think about it, it's not that hard to understand.
Psychologists, teachers, and adults in general are always saying, "You enjoy being around people that share interests with you." We've been hearing this phrase from friends and family and people we respect for years. While that's true, what is even truer is if you replaced the word "interests" with "hatred". If two people have negative feelings towards a common subject, they can become even stronger friends.
Soldiers fighting in a war hate their common enemy. They become like brothers and sisters to each other.
Two guys hate a certain video game console. They ally with each other, supporting each other's arguments, and together they bash on those who disagree.
Ciara and I hate the general American youth to the core. We're very, very close friends.
And yet I know a lot of people who like anime that I'm not too close friends with.
Proportionally, out of all the people I know, I'm friends with a lot more people whom I share hatreds with than I am with those whom I share interests with. I know plenty of people who like something I like that I'm not friends with. Yet I know very few people who hate something I hate that I'm not friends with.
I'm not saying that common interests CAN'T foster a relationship, but common hatreds are much more susceptible to doing so.
Maybe it's not hate itself, but the fact that people agree with each other. Specifically though, in many minds, hate is a much more passionate feeling than love. Especially in people who find it hard to trust others.
Agree? Disagree?
I bet a lot of you are wondering how I came to this ironic conclusion. But if you think about it, it's not that hard to understand.
Psychologists, teachers, and adults in general are always saying, "You enjoy being around people that share interests with you." We've been hearing this phrase from friends and family and people we respect for years. While that's true, what is even truer is if you replaced the word "interests" with "hatred". If two people have negative feelings towards a common subject, they can become even stronger friends.
Soldiers fighting in a war hate their common enemy. They become like brothers and sisters to each other.
Two guys hate a certain video game console. They ally with each other, supporting each other's arguments, and together they bash on those who disagree.
Ciara and I hate the general American youth to the core. We're very, very close friends.
And yet I know a lot of people who like anime that I'm not too close friends with.
Proportionally, out of all the people I know, I'm friends with a lot more people whom I share hatreds with than I am with those whom I share interests with. I know plenty of people who like something I like that I'm not friends with. Yet I know very few people who hate something I hate that I'm not friends with.
I'm not saying that common interests CAN'T foster a relationship, but common hatreds are much more susceptible to doing so.
Maybe it's not hate itself, but the fact that people agree with each other. Specifically though, in many minds, hate is a much more passionate feeling than love. Especially in people who find it hard to trust others.
Agree? Disagree?