Three of my last 4 conversations (either online or in person) have revolved around the need for people to love one another, try to understand one another, and to be more tolerant. If you think I’m going to get on a political soap box, you don’t know me very well! I may be eccentric, but I’m not completely around the bend. Three aren’t many people I’d embark upon a political conversation with, and I certainly wouldn’t “go there” with people I’ve never met.
For one thing, I’m no one’s conscience and I’m no one’s brain. You’re more than capable of forming your own political thoughts, opinions, and views and I wouldn’t even consider telling you what to think. That’s what’s driving me crazy lately – everyone is trying to tell everyone what to think, how to feel, who to vote for, who to hate, who to love, etc.
Why not just drive in your own lane and allow others the freedom to do the same.
No sir. No ma’am. I will not talk politics here. However, with Booker T. Washington’s beautiful (and timeless!) quote leading the way, we need to look at a few current instances of people allowing their souls to be belittled.
Unless you live in a cave, you know that the recent election in the United States caused a great deal of anger and pain. Sadly it lingers. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. In the past, anytime a candidate won, we’d simply get on with our lives – whether we voted for the one who won or not. Today, however, there are people who are just stewing in their own hate juices and I honestly worry about what they’re doing to themselves.
For example, A LOT of people (on both sides of the political aisle) who once Tweeted about sports, their pets, their kids, jokes, sports teams, etc. and who were once funny and engaging are simply miserable, complaining, argumentative shells of their former selves. BOTH sides – not just one. I’ve had to unfollow so many people simply because I couldn’t stand to see what they’d become.
The thing is, whether anyone really wants to admit it or not, there was a huge “soul belittling” problem long before this election.
If you allow yourself to hate someone because of their political affiliation, color of their skin, who they choose to love, how they choose to wear their hair, or the beliefs they stand by, you aren’t hurting them (which is, sadly, the average hater’s goal), you’re hurting yourself. You’re inviting HATE to come into your heart and reside.
As Mr. Washington so eloquently put it, you’re allowing your soul to be belittled.
I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him. – Booker T. Washington
I’m not saying you have to believe in what they believe in. I’m not saying you have to see eye to eye with them – that’s often impossible. As a Christian, for example, I’m not going to agree with a non-Christian’s belief system – nor will I ever. But hate them? Not on your life. How anyone could have the love of Jesus in their heart and hate anyone isn’t something I can wrap my head around. He was love Personified and lived his life as a beautiful testament of love and compassion.
Unfortunately, hating others simply because they’re different is going on all around the world. Make no mistake about it, it’s not just an American thing. Far from it! The world is filled with human beings who believe that God needs them to judge everyone and everything for Him. I’m pretty sure He doesn’t need…. or desire… such efforts.
It’s also worth noting that when anyone says “intolerant,” it does not always address a conservative individual with a certain set of beliefs. Any individual who is so full of themselves that they think everyone should look, act, think, and believe just as they do… or by gosh, they’re wrong!… is intolerant. I’m seeing a great deal of intolerance shown toward Conservative Christians, Muslims, and Catholics. These individuals have the right and freedom to believe how they choose to believe – they have the right to exercise their Faith and anyone who butts into their life is just as guilty of intolerance as someone who butts into someone’s love life.
I know, I know, there’s zero chance we can get through to the entire world. There is no way Booker T. Washington’s wonderful quote or my (or your) efforts to turn haters away from their hateful ways will be successful – not on a grand scale, anyway. But if we can get through to just one person, it’ll be more than worth it.
When my beautiful daughters were growing up, I always tried to instill the dangers of hate in their hearts and minds. In fact, even when they’d say something as simple as, “I hate spinach” or “I hate that color on me…” I’d say something like, “Try to use the word hate as little as possible in life. Focus on foods you love and try to think of the others as foods you simply don’t like…” And, yes, I realize that this made me sound like a hippie mother hen – I guess there are worse things to be. I mean, I don’t hate it. *wink wink
Next time you read about or encounter someone you 110 percent disagree with… and possibly even disapprove of… remind yourself that the difference between the two of you is not worth the damage that hating them will do to you. You don’t want people you love to harm you, you darn shouldn’t allow people you don’t love to have a crack at it!
It might help to realize the following:
- Hating someone isn’t going to change them.
- Lashing out at an individual on social media isn’t going to harm their cause or help your cause.
- Rounding up a gaggle of like-minded people to “go up against” others is simply an effort to create more hate than the other person will be able to stand against. Whether it’s going up against Starbucks, Target, or Chick-Fil-A (Personally, I throw more money at these three than ought to be legal) – at some point shouldn’t you just say, “The owners think differently than I do. SO WHAT?!?!” Seriously. So. What?
- Life is too short and too beautiful to spend any amount of time hating or being angry. Let it go and live your life.
Finally (yes, the hippie mother hen is on the homestretch), I just want to make sure I’m not misunderstood. If there is a cause you believe in…. support it! Stand up for what you believe in and keep standing until they have to carry you away. JUST BE SURE TO ALLOW OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. And DO NOT allow hate to move into your heart and mind. It will unpack it’s nasty bags and live there forever – and if you think that won’t do harm to you, you’re wrong.
You’ll rot from the inside out and I don’t want to see that happen. You’re better than that.
I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him. – Booker T. Washington
~ Joi
See More Booker T. Washington Quotes. He was one of the brightest men to ever live. He’s one of those people who, the more you read about them, the more you like them.
