To prove that the negative force we've invented to oppose love is real and powerful, we turn it toward punishment and destruction. Demonstrations of the force of hatred can be very convincing, and may seduce us to answer in kind. For instance, I've always been amazed by the power of hate-mongers to arouse within me the kind of hatred I despise within them. This is their real agenda, and they are generally unaware of it themselves. Hate groups and individual haters don't really seek to further their race, culture, or beliefs, but to clone their inward misery in the consciousness of others, and thus feel less alone.
Hatred becomes a substitute for the love that was once so desperately sought.
Ultimately this substitution is self-defeating, but it gains a little credence every time haters can inspire any kind of hatred within other people. That aim will never be achieved, but it has accounted for a lot of human history. To understand the hater, I need look no further than my revulsion in his presence. And I have to look at this revulsion steadily, continuously, courageously, until I see exactly how my own argument with love has crafted such a fearsome mask. That s why we should beware of hating the man or woman who hates.