The cycle goes:
- Someone hates on you
- You wonder what the hell their problem is
- Because the answer is usually never clear and it is difficult to rationalize this behavior, you deal by hating back, be it externally or internally
Unfortunately, this defense mechanism is not a healthy long-term solution. At some point, one has to accept that this is a numbers game – some people are going to love you, some people are going to hate you, and you are all in each others lives briefly or for some period of time for a reason.
Reacting to hate with hate is an understandably natural response, but for the sake of personal well-being and an overall healthier environment that one nurtures and creates around oneself, it is important to cultivate positive thoughts, regardless of whether these thoughts / expressions are being reciprocated.
Example:
- Someone hates on you
- In a private setting, cuss up a storm and flip some tables. Scale of reaction is based on level of annoyingness of this encounter / situation
- Evaluate if this is something you can address / should address / should bother addressing
- Take action: a) Address it, and/or b) Decide you are going to think / feel nice things anyway
Hatred takes a toll on the soul. Hatred can hold you back on a personal and professional level. There aren’t really any win-win’s that come out of it. Although the logic of hate dictates otherwise, there is no winning by hating back. Haters gonna hate, but the real question is, will haters make a hater out of you?