Many emotions are inherently present in a human being, but some have to grow to truly exist. Happiness is something inherently present, it is easy to see things and be able to say that object, whatever it may be, creates a sense of happiness. Despite the struggle to find a stable sense of all around happiness, the emotion itself manifests itself in many different ways. But hatred is one that isn’t just present in everyone. This isn’t to say that a human mind is incapable of showing displeasure, just as easy as it is to say an object causes happiness, it is easy to say objects cause anger. An absence of happiness inherently exists, where an object may immediately cause the lack thereof a positive sentiment. Hatred is a much larger, deep-set emotion that combined with subjective thoughts becomes a corrosive power that slowly destroys from inside out.
No human is born immediately hating things, it is taught and spread. Many of the thoughts that put down an entire demographic of people stem from an inexplicable hatred, one that over the years has lost its meaning. A meaning that inherently came from a refusal of accepting differences, a meaning that came from a superiority complex that allowed one mind to believe it was better than another solely based on physical differences. The lessons passed down aren’t like that of moral fables at the end of our favorite childhood stories, but rather prejudices handed down. Take a young mind that is always ready to be molded and pour into it years’ worth of negative feelings that are based on the unwillingness to learn and appreciate others. Any prejudiced notion a child may have is not from inherent hatred but from a hatred that is learned. They are notions adopted from parents, uncles and aunts, friends and anyone close to them that have taken their own baseless human hatred and passed it on. No human is born with hatred, but rather learns it. The hatred of prejudice then promotes ignorance, it feeds off of it.
Going as far back as the European imperialism movement, the quest for land began to cultivate a Eurocentric complex. Soon humans deemed it appropriate to label others as savages for reasons as simple as different cultures and lifestyles. With the seed of hatred planted, ignorance grew and nourished it to then topple pre-existing economic superpowers. New European superpowers were established and the market was flooded with cheaper goods, created with the labor of the same humans put down and deemed beneath the imperialists. After years of culmination of the same feeling and the tumultuous times after resulting in wars, some victories were had. But eradicating a seed that has been growing for many years is not easy because that seed has fully grown. Through years of culmination grew years of ignorance, where the face value may have changed but the roots remain. Roots that have been steeped in hatred and boils under the skin of many, so it’s hard to pull the roots out, but it’s not impossible.
Facing a hatred that has grown for many years is daunting but pointing out the issues is the first step. Take the first chops at the tree by acknowledging the existence. If every other emotion can be identified, so much the negative ones, especially the ones that are being taught. Years have only gone by because people have been too afraid to point out all the emotions boiling under the surface. Attention to the issues causes ignorance to falter. Then the next obstacle comes into play which is facing the young minds that are being taught. These are still minds that have a chance, that can face the hatred within and broaden their perspectives. Educating young minds of different cultures and customs erases pre-taught notions; it removes the taught superiority and opens eyes. Education takes away the strength of ignorance which stints the growth of hatred; once you remove that what’s left is a mind more willing to develop actual inherent emotions.
It’s important to accept mistakes because then a person is ready to begin addressing issues. Once an issue is addressed, the chance to learn opens up. Learning about other humans is vital to life, we’re all sharing the same space, in the end, we’re all made of the same flesh and blood. It’s never too late to remove hatred and accept the positive emotions that are meant to grow within people.
