Three Reasons To Love Your Enemies
Enemy is a strong word. One that most would not use lightly. But, I don't think there would be many to disagree that the members of the cabals that are running this world - as well as dictating the progression of society - are most definitely our enemies. These people have done some seriously fucked up shit, that has led billions towards what would certainly seem like completely unnecessary suffering.
It's difficult, I'm sure, to imagine how one could love such people who have clearly showed their lack of love for any of us. It may be harder still to understand why any of us would want to love them. For me, I want to love them because I'm tired of hatred. I want to find a reason to love them because I know that filling myself up with positive emotions is good for both my health and my growth; and these two things will be a benefit to everyone in my life.
So in an effort to exorcise the hatred from within, I have spent the last few weeks combing my mind for potential reasons to look upon my enemies in a different light. It's not been easy, and I cannot pretend that I have expelled all that I want rid of from myself at this point. However, I have found what I need within my mind, and have made a measure of progress in terms of embracing that philosophy and alleviating myself of the weight of hate.
Of course, after spending the best part of a decade looking for reasons to hate them, and after repeating all of those reasons in my head like a mantra for so long, I know it is not going to be a quick process when it comes to purging myself of such beliefs, and fully immersing myself in love and forgiveness.
Part of that process is writing down my new reasons - the reasons to love - and expanding upon them. I hadn't the need to think in order to know that Steemit is the best place to do that. If there are any others out there who have had enough of hate - whether it be hating the leaders of this world, the abusers on Steemit who show little-to-no regard for the rest of us attempting to get by, or whether it be someone who has wronged you or a loved one in the past -then I hope that this can serve as a first step, and provide you with the foundation you will need in order to observe things from a more comfortable and rewarding perspective.
So without further delay; here are three reasons why I believe you should love your enemies.
They Are a Valuable Source of Sustenance
I'm sure we've all heard of growing pains, and many of us may even remember suffering through them. But how many of us know the truth; that growing pains do not desist when one has finished developing physically? Growth is not strictly physical. In fact, I would say that growth is physical to far less of a degree than otherwise. I would also say - based on my own experience - that suffering is often a byproduct of growth - and vice versa.
So if you like who you are, or who you are becoming, then you owe some gratitude to those in this world who have wronged you, and been a cause of pain for you - either directly or through those that you love. I ask you to reconsider your life, and imagine the person you might have become should you have never experienced any suffering in your life. How grown up do you think that person would be? How conscious of the consequences of their actions, and how appreciative of the blessings of life would they be? I know for myself, I would be but a shadow of the man I have become if not for the gift of suffering that was forced upon me by society. I am here only because of my enemies, and so I thank them for it.
They Are Your Teachers. and Your Saviours
It's difficult in this world to ascertain what is right and what is not. It took me far too long to get a good grip on morality, and even now I'm still a long way from completing my own code of morality. This is because I have learned what is moral through my own personal experience, reflection, and empathy. But how much suffering have I caused on my journey to here? Far more than I would have had to if I had embraced this simple truth a long time ago.
Yes, I do believe that experience and empathy are vital components to comprehending morality, but I hadn't the need to cause so much pain in order for me to learn this. If I had but a little experience, and a powerful sense of empathy, then I could have simply observed the actions of the evilest people in this world, and placed myself within their shoes, as well as the shoes of those who they have hurt. Through such an approach, I could have been liberated from the need to do wrong myself; for through the study of evil one can find the knowledge of good, and the cost of both.
Of course, empathy is not taught at schools, and it was something I was only forced to develop on my own far later. But we can teach the children in our lives empathy, and save them the need to discover first hand what they should not do.
Just Like You and I, They Will Soon Reap What They Have Sown
Whether it be through God or their selves - just like all of us - they will get their comeuppance. You don't have to believe in a fiery hell for immoral humans, nor even in karma to know this to be true. You need only observe the divine balance that permeates the universe to know that we will all have to pay for what we have taken from - or given to - this world, and each other.
If this is accurate, it means that they are in for more torment than I'd wish upon any person. If you can eliminate the complication of time from this equation, you will see that we are all exactly the same. For we will eventually have all returned to that balance. We will have all felt what we've made others feel, and experienced what we've forced others to. Without the excuse of time, we can see that we've no good reason to hate anyone, for we all learn what we need to in a different way- and we all pay a price equal to that which we deserve.
So forget now, and forget then. Forget what might be. Think only of we, and you may just find yourself at a loss for reasons to hate. Then simply love the fuck out of your enemy, and who knows; perhaps your unconditional and - to them - unfamiliar love may be what they need in order to learn how to love others too.
These are the mantras I am now cleansing my mind with, and this does not even include the myriad of benefits - for you and everyone you will ever encounter - to replacing the hate in your heart with love. But, if you have any more reasons to love these fuckers- then please do share. We could all do with more reasons to love.
Exactly. You see it too!!
Empathy. That's what focused the picture for me. I read a book a while back called Jewish Eugenics, by John Glad, and I came away from it seeing why they might be doing so many of the things that I see as evil in the world.
Their damaged genes, due to a long run of endogamy, cause them to suffer from horribly sad diseases and often their children are the victims.
I can't help but think that if we could come at this with a willingness to understand their situation and a desire to help, we might stop this mess. Like @maxigan often says, we need to step into our humanity.
There is more to it. I have tried to put my thoughts about it in several steemit comments. I am working on a better explanation of how I see it.
I highly recommend this book. You can read it on John Glad's website whatwemaybe.org there is a pdf of it there, and there are used physical copies on several sites online.
Thanks. More often than not the comments I receive speak of something I already know or have looked into before. But this talk of endogamy and damaged genes is not something I am familiar with, though it does in fact make a lot of sense when considering the other things in my mind that I believe or am questioning.
Thanks a lot, and I will look into it as soon as I'm able to find the time.
If we truly knew this enemy, we would know not to hate them.
Hate takes so much out of us, and it actually feeds them.
If we truly knew this enemy, we would ignore them.
Laugh at them when they try to tell us "Syria gassed their own people".
We would remove any relevance to the psychopaths antics.
You have a nice list of things to be thankful for.
And that is a good practice.
It is actually the first step in removing that influence from your life.
However, this is not really love.
Love is caring for the person. Understanding how sick their minds are. Imagine being tortured as a child so that you would never be able to develop empathy. These beings should seriously be mourned.
And a time will come when we will love them.
But first, we must learn to love ourselves and set boundaries.
No Mr. Psychopath, you do not get to do this, now go stand in the corner.
While I do agree with a lot of this; I think you're wrong about love. If you hold onto gratitude tight enough, and long enough, it will turn to love. In my experience at least. But really, defining what love is must be one of the most difficult of tasks, so I'm not sure if it's even worth a debate. It's unlikely to be fruitful. So yes, let's call it gratitude. As long as it is not hate or any other negative emotion.
As we learn to love more, as we grow as a species, we will look back on the times before 2012 and call them the barbaric age.
Even looking at love and marriage. They are not the same things they were even a couple hundred years ago.
Yes, speaking of, and defining love gets very complicated. Especially in english where we have one word, and we throw all of the emotions and relationship types into the same basket. Not that they aren't fun in their own part, but we will just go around in circles for as long as we care to converse.
I would very much appreciate it if you could convince me to share in your perspective. What do you believe that leads you to the expectation of a better world on the horizon? One where we love more and grow together, and ultimately reach a higher level of morality.
This is not what I see. I see us growing further apart by the day. So if you're able to convince me otherwise; this would be a source of great comfort.
I know for myself, I would be but a shadow of the woman I have become if not for the gift of suffering that was forced upon me by society. I am here only because of my enemies, and so I thank them for it.
I say the same words. Know and love thy enemy.
Those are some very deep words. You must be a wise one.
I find it impossible to hate anything or anyone. I dislike Mushrooms and I dislike Meat but I do not hate people who do like and eat.
I dislike how the world is run and who runs it, but hating it
is counterproductive for sure.
Does love not conquer all?
Love Conquers All – 1 Corinthians 13
I do believe this to be true. When I examine the world closely, it is abundantly clear that the underlying principle upon which the architects of modern society constructed this world, is divide and conquer. Everywhere throughout society you will find mechanisms designed to chip away at our love for one another, and replace it with a sense of competition or distrust - or both.
I think that within a different world, where society wasn't working against us, we might come to find that we have an innate love for one another, and that it is only through life in this world that we learn to suppress that love.
For sure it's all about dividing us to conquer.
I do not know how it has happened but we have all become strangers, we do not even know our next door neighbours, they pass each other and do not even say hello.
Frightened of your Neighbour - Divide and Conquer.
United the people cannot be defeated so Divide and Conquer.
Then import 1000's of non nationals to really mix the race and kill any chance of the people rising.
Has worked a treat here in Ireland and in such a short time.
I do think we do actually love each other, we show it by donating to total strangers, I have seen even here on Steemit. One can only imagine what it would be like if people had their total income to do with what they pleased.
"There but for the grace of God, go I" According to what I've read, an evangelical preacher by the name of John Bradford (1510-1555) uttered this when seeing prisoners led to the scaffold. He was burned at the stake in 1555,and by all accounts he remained sanguine about his fate and is said to have suggested to a fellow victim that "We shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night".
I always think this saying when I am tempted to judge someone for their actions- if I were in their shoes, with their circumstances, might I do the same? It's easier to love our enemies when we imagine that with a twist of fate it could have been us.
This is really good one. I know many will say that they could never end up that way, but I believe I could have. The way I see it; there is but one path. If you walk in one direction long enough, you will find yourself in extreme circumstances. Better then to check regularly that you are walking in the right direction.
My enemy can teach me better to hide my weakness than I can. Enemies are the best teachers you can have who point out the faults within you and sometimes it’s hars but that’s just reality. To defeat them you just have fix your own faults and then find out theirs to defeat them.