The Antidote for Hate is Love

Ce texte en anglais est originellement une contribution faite dans un cadre autre que celui de ce blog. Je vous le soumets en partage pour susciter l'Amour entre nous Africains et pour l'Amour entre tous les Humains!

An African proverb says that Hatred has no remedy; however, common sense and conventional wisdom point to Love as the only antidote to it. Only Love has the power to affranchise the human mind and soul from the domination and subjugation of Hatred.

Love here is not romance; it is rather a deep sentiment of acceptance and respect that I should express to all my fellow human beings. John Locke wrote that “we should Love our neighbour as ourselves”.

It is commonly argued that the closest sentiment to Love is Hate. Love and Hate may be siblings or neighbours. They may share the same space or be in rivalry for the control of the same room. There is no doubt that in any area where mankind has taken marked and stiff steps to make Love prevail over Hate; there has been a larger breathing space for Love, allowing it to grow freely and bear abundant fruits.

If we decide to strongly invest in, nurture and sustain Love, it will grow and flourish in such a way that our lives will be enlightened. We will feel, among ourselves, a more powerful and cohesive bond. We will ultimately be closely interrelated in performing our common endeavour. If we allow true Love to rise from our Hearts, it will be a powerful engine that would drive us to double the efficiency and effectiveness of our own work. If we apply our energies to Love, we will be less consumed by frustrations, anger and Hate; we will be driven by a stronger sense of solidarity and empathy.

Love is not only kindness or compassion; it is not merely the expression of tolerance or openness; it is opposed to condescendence, fear and cowardice. It derives essentially from candour, respect and humility. It is an expression of courage. It is first rooted in self-respect, which then translates itself into the respect one should be compelled to have for others, who, in turn are just like ourselves. Though another me, my neighbour does not necessary need to be me or like me. I do not have the right to attempt to format the mental hard-drive of my neighbour or to configure his/her physical traits to make him/her look like me, before Loving him/her. His/her cultural background should not be measured through mine, before I accept to respect him/her. What would be the meaning of my efforts and what merits would I have, if I should only Love someone because I share common features and characters with him/her?

Love helps build and strengthen the common heritage of solidarity that is the foundation of humankind; Hate, on the contrary, comes from selfishness and destroys cohesion as fundamental cement of major human achievements. Without any strong sense of Love for my inner self, I cannot dispose of the temperament and the stature to Love another human being. Likewise, without Loving my neighbour, the Loving of my inner self turns vain and empty. Love and respect go hand in hand. Consequently, respecting others also means self-respect for myself.

The fruits of Love are: sharing, communion, compassion; these three ideas stand together to build solidarity, synergy and harmony. Love also induces humility, patience, trust and generosity. It does not retaliate, vindicate; nor does it take roots in jealousy. Though it takes stock of justice, fairness and equity, Love is essentially made of forgiveness.

Love produces confidence and leads to exceptional achievements. If we do not trust our fellows, they may not achieve any success, irrespective of their will, potentials and efforts. Where Love is present, there is no place for distrust; in an environment shaped by Love, vanity and egocentrism cannot prosper; under the realm of Love, arrogance cannot grow. Similarly, humility, understanding and cooperation are enhanced by Love. Love is hope; it is faith in the human genius present in each and every one of us. It is embodied in the prospects and potentials of humankind as dynamics for the rise and betterment of Humanity.

Let’s give Love a chance. Let’s dig a grave for Hatred, and crown with laurel, Respect, Empathy, Solidarity and Friendship. Let’s these concepts and the principles they embody shine in all of us; let them shape our work in advancing progress and development.

Emmanuel Y. Boussou

New York

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USA

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15 April 2010

The Antidote for Hate is Love !

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