“No one has ever gained a thing by hating.”
That was a tweet I sent out last week. It was the truth as I saw it and I didn’t think that there could possibly be any controversy over it at all. It was “harmless” and a simple fact.
Boy, oh boy, oh boy was I wrong!
To be sure, the majority of people who RT’d or commented on the tweet agreed with it but it was not a very big majority. I was shocked by the number of people who disagreed with it, some vehemently.
Some said I was just naive, they said that some of the most successful people in the world got that way by hating. They said their hatred “allowed” them to basically violate any law or any societal norm for their own purposes. Hatred was how they “gained” an advantage over people who didn’t hate.
As surprised as I was at the responses I was most surprised by the person several people held up as an example of “successful” hating.
Adolph Hitler.
They listed his “accomplishments” and said they could only have been “achieved” by hating. When I pointed out that he killed millions and then eventually killed himself two people said his suicide was his greatest accomplishment. They said he “got to” choose when and how he died and took that choice away from the allies. One person said only people who truly love themselves could kill themselves.
The responses came from all around the world but I was surprised by how many of these “Hitler” responses came from Europe. How soon people forget?
One woman from the UK said that “Hitler had made Germany the greatest world power ever” and the Americans “ruined” it by destroying Europe. Another person from France said that Hitler didn’t die at all, his “death” was just American propaganda and that Hitler is STILL alive today. (I assume he’s working as a mechanic in Detroit with his friend Elvis Presley.)
I just started blocking some of these people and eventually gave up and turned Twitter off. I didn’t block them for disagreeing with me, I blocked them because I refuse to let hate win. I refuse to let hate take over my timeline. I refuse to let hate take over anything.
(I am going to violate a basic Human Relations Principle here but this must be said) To the people who think they have something to gain by hating, let me say this: YOU ARE WRONG! Believing that there is ANYTHING to be gained by hating allows hate a place in your life. That is how hate takes over!
Hate destroys. Hate destroys and that is all it does. It destroys families. It destroys friendships. It destroys countries. It destroys companies and teams.
Most of all, hate destroys people.
If you have bought into the idea that something good comes from hate then get rid of that idea now. Get rid of it before it gets rid of you. Get rid of it before it costs you valuable relationships and maybe even family members. Get rid of it before it costs you your self-respect.
Haters ALWAYS lose more than the hated. It may not appear that way at first, it may take some time for hate to destroy but destroy it will.
Only you can keep yourself from becoming hate’s victim. It’s a decision you must make. Make it today, make it tomorrow and make it everyday.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Unfortunately there is a lot of darkness in the world…choose to be the light.
I agree 100%! We CAN CHOOSE to be the light.
Wow, I can’t believe all the people that disagreed. That’s sad.
The comments on Hitler are down right disturbing. Really?
Steve, I agreed with everything you said regarding the H word. I never ever use it.Not even when talking about a sports team rivalry. Dislike, unhappy with, but never H.
Saying or thinking the word makes me upset.
Have I ever said it? Felt it? Oh yeah. Many times when I was younger and less wiser.
Once I remembered really h–ing someone. I couldn’t stand this person for what they had done.
Then one day, privately in my own mind, I forgave them. I surrendered, if you will.
Once I surrendered, I was in control. At peace.
I’m still shaking my head knowing how many h—ful people there are in the world.
I’m not sure to be happy you wrote this post or more saddened how it’s made me feel.
Thanks Steve, I was mad, frustrated, and shocked by the comments on Twitter. But most of all I was sad. How people can hold up a monster as a “model” of success and then attribute that “success” to his ability to hate is just beyond my comprehension.
The fact the some of the comments could come from the countries most affected by Hitler was perhaps most surprising of all. How soon we forget?
I am equally concerned that they is even one person in the world that believes hating leads to gain. It’s sad and scary all rolled into one.
I suppose it just depends on your perception of what success means and what you CAN gain … power? Happiness? Love? Respect? I agree that you can’t gain anything by hating. Sure, you can gain power (like Hitler did), but you’ll lose so much more.
Indeed, but his power was VERY fleeting and the “cost” was terrible. I’m still shaking my head that anyone could call what he did successful.
Well said, excellent post! Your blog my friend is the best I’ve ever come across! I’ve never read anything more rational anywhere than I do here. Please keep up the good work!
Thank you, I truly appreciate your kind words.