ALWAYS BOILING OVER Why hatred is always a waste of time in our lives copy editor
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oo often, I hear students express how much they hate someone else. His actions, her words, their very existences — some students say they cannot stand it. In what is probably one of the most volatile and vocal generations, I feel that this public service announcement is important: if you are hating someone or something for more than a day, you are wasting your brain capacity. Allow me to set a baseline for what might inspire negative feelings. For someone to be unlikable, they must have an expressed quality or belief that is so disagreeable that it noticeably bothers someone else. That someone feels as if his mental bubble has been threatened and reacts accordingly to regain balance. This reaction could range from some spoken words to a physical altercation. Consistently disagreeable behavior can change temporary annoyance to long-term contempt. I once had people in my life who I thought deserved to be hated: those who invaded my space, gripped me like a vice, dragged my self-worth through muck and left me quivering with silent rage. In my eyes, they were living weapons whose sole purpose was to provoke me and ruin my day. The worst part was the feeling that I could never win or drive them away. That unexpressed emotion is then left broiling inside, needing an outlet, and it obviously is projected in the worst ways. Only in retrospect did I realize how completely irrational it was — not only the idea of hating but also being explicitly annoyed, offended or having any inkling of resentment
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for more than a moment. It’s pure ignorance to hold onto feelings that put one in a needlessly sour mood, and to think that there is enough space in the world to have a safe bubble to protect one’s precious beliefs shows a lack of awareness for how the world works. Your space will be invaded and threatened constantly; are you really going to be bothered by people who so much as look at you the wrong way? That constant state of tension will drain an individual of all their drive to do anything else, which then leaves them bitter at this habit of “laziness,” once again inspiring the deadly circle of blame and projection that introudces a localized cycle of mental degradation. No one wins by resenting. There will be many others beyond high school whom you will clash with. They will come from many different backgrounds and upbringings that cannot be fully comprehended. Accepting that there are aspects of people you will never understand is the first step in becoming a more tolerant person. By acknowledging the unknown, I realized that, beyond my bubble, humans of all kinds are toiling and slogging through an increasingly global society, and meeting people who oppose all my views is the price of the global network. So, instead of being hung up on someone whispering about you, cheating on you or saying something offensive, go blow off steam without hurting anyone. Hang out with friends, play video games, watch Netflix or do homework like the totally diligent student you are. Your noggin is worth more challenging and engaging with the world than mentally retreating into a dark corner like a feral beast.
ANGER-O-METER
ALEXANDER FU
SPREAD DESIGN BY C. EDGAR & C. WOODHILL; J. KORENBLAT
