The Virus That’s Spreading Like Crazy: Hate (and How to Stop It)

There’s a virus that has been spreading across the planet for thousands of years, and a lot of people are already infected. Its name is hate.

How it spreads

It gets into one person in a household, a friendship or a circle, and that person starts feeding hate into everyone around them. Think about it: is there someone who, every time you talk, turns your focus to how bad someone else is? A different person each time? And after every conversation, you dislike that person a little more.

Do they deserve it? Do you even know them?

Divide and conquer

It’s an old strategy: turn people against each other, father against son, friend against friend, partner against partner, so they can be ruled. Often it’s driven by jealousy: someone who couldn’t appreciate another person’s greatness spreads a worse image of them to everyone they know.

And sometimes the person you’ve been turned against is the very one holding the keys to your freedom, ready to hand them over.

Questions to ask

• Does this person really know who they’re talking about, or their intentions?
• Have I had my own experiences with the person being described?
• Why do I feel I have to keep listening? Am I afraid I’ll need them one day?

Ask someone else what they think, and think for yourself. Influence based on hate is control. Influence based on love is inspiration: I don’t want you to do what I want, I want you to do what you want. If both people have tried to control you, cut them both out. If the one you were turned against never has, let life lead you back to them.