Murakami said it best:
“Hatred is like a long, dark shadow. In most cases, not even the person it falls upon knows where it comes from.”
We have a rule in our family: don’t use the word hate. Ever. You can say you don’t like something or that something is dumb, etc., but hate isn’t a word we use.
Yes, it’s one of those corny, eye-roll-inducing rules that only a nerdy, embarrassing parent can come up with, but it’s stuck with the kids so far, and I love that it has.
I can’t really say exactly why I detest the word so much, but in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, there is a passage that articulates it quite well.
“Hatred is like a long, dark shadow. In most cases, not even the person it falls upon knows where it comes from.
It is like a two-edged sword.
When you cut the other person, you cut yourself.
The more violently you hack at the other person, the more violently you hack at yourself.
It can often be fatal.
But it is not easy to dispose of. Please be careful, Mr Okada. It is very dangerous.
Once it has taken root in your heart, hatred is the most difficult thing in the world to eradicate.“
Comments welcome!