“Hate is like acid. It damages the vessel in which it is stored and destroys the object on which it is poured.” – Ann Landers
The thing with hate is that we often believe it is only directed at others. We think it’s a weapon that wounds the person on the receiving end. But the truth is: nothing is more destructive to the one who carries it than hate itself.
For hate to exist, it must be nurtured. And how do you nurture any emotion? With your energy, your focus, and your time. That is the price. Hate doesn’t just spring up fully formed—it grows because you feed it. You replay stories, justify your anger, and pour your attention into sustaining it. In doing so, you sacrifice your peace, your health, and your joy.
When I hear of people hating others because of race, religion, or any difference—when I hear of spitting, beating, or worse—I can only imagine the toll it takes on the minds and bodies of those who carry that venom. The physical and mental cost is real.
And here’s the brutal truth: even if the people you hate are left untouched, you are the one rotting from the inside. Even if, by some horrifying means, those you hate are annihilated, where would that hate go? Do you think it would vanish? No. It would remain in you. It would seep into your family, into your children, into the people you profess to love. Hate must go somewhere—and eventually, it turns inward.
The Consequences Beyond What We Can See
When we act out of hate, we cannot measure the consequences. There is always an X factor—God. We never know what He is holding together, what balance He is protecting, or what blessings He might be preserving if we chose peaceful cohabitation. Once we unleash hate, we set forces in motion that are beyond our control.
You may believe only the person you hate will suffer, but that is an illusion. Hate ripples outward and returns with a force far greater than you imagined. As true as God is one, what you send out will come back—tenfold—not by human arithmetic, but by a moral and spiritual accounting that surpasses us.
Choose Love Instead
Choose love. Love yourself enough not to poison your spirit. Love others enough to let them be. You did not create anyone, and you have no authority over how they choose to live. The same freedom you crave for your life is the same freedom every human being longs for.
This earth is ours for only a short while. Live and let live. Because when you choose hate, you are playing with a force you cannot control.
Journal Prompts ✍🏽
- When I think about someone I resent, what energy (time, thoughts, rituals) am I investing in that resentment?
- How has holding onto anger or hate affected my body, sleep, or mood in the last month? Be specific.
- Can I identify the first moment I began to nurture this hatred? What was I trying to protect or prove?
- If I returned that energy to myself instead, what could I create with it in the next 30 days? List three possibilities.
- Who in my life models peaceful cohabitation or radical compassion? What do they do differently, and what can I try?
- Write a short forgiveness letter (you don’t have to send it) to the person or group you struggle with—then write a second paragraph that forgives yourself.
- What small daily ritual could I commit to that redirects my energy from hate to healing (e.g., 5 minutes of breathwork, a gratitude list, a walk)?
Salima
Just me thinking out loud over here