I Don’t Like You, And I Like Everyone

I recently ran into someone from my past, someone I genuinely don’t like. I would go even further and say that I actually hate this person.

They walked past me in the store, and I pretended to be busy until they went down the aisle. But then, no more than 10 minutes later, I ran into them again – and this time, they saw me. 

“Hey, how are you? What are you doing on this side of town?” 

I stared blankly at this person, making polite small talk but kept my mouth shut otherwise. The person stared at me for a second, said goodbye, and went on their way.

At that moment, I knew that this person knew that I didn’t like them — honestly, it didn’t matter to me at all that they did. I’m glad that they know.

This person was a complete asshole to me. They spoke down to me, made fun of me, and acted mean. 

When someone mentions this person around me, my personality changes completely. I get this anger in me that fills my entire body whenever. 

I know you probably think, “Okay, you don’t like them. So what? It’s okay to hate someone.”

But in my eyes, the word “hate” is very strong — you don’t just throw it around. If you hate someone, it means you dislike this person with every fiber of your being. 

It’s different than any feelings you might have towards an ex or a former friend from whom you drifted apart. With those people, you know there’s still some love left, despite how badly things might have ended. But with hate, you feel more than just dislike for someone. Their presence immediately makes you want to roll up in a ball. They make the hairs on your neck stand up, and the sound of their voice makes you shudder.

We throw around the word “hate” like it’s not a powerful sentiment, but it’s simply not true. 

Don’t get me wrong: I have people I don’t like, and I’m sure some people dislike me. We can’t all be each other’s cup of tea. That’s just life.

But here’s the thing about me: I immediately accept people for who they are.

I accept all your positive and negative attributes, the ups and the downs, and everything in between. Once you have me in your life, I’m there for you, love you, and will always be there for you.

If we had a falling out three years ago, and you called me at 2 a.m. because your car broke down on the side of the road, you can count on me.

If we don’t talk anymore, but you ask me to share your newest piece of online content, you can guarantee that you’ll see a share from me on your page.

If you sit at my table, I’ll always love you. I will always show support for you, despite how things might have ended between us. If you need me and are one of my people, you can bet your ass that I’ll be there for you. 

So if I can love someone so hard, just imagine how much hatred I can hold toward someone. 

If you can love someone with all your might, you can also hate someone with all your might.

Now that you know this about me, just take a second and try to understand what someone must have done for me to hate them.

At 25 years old, I only have two people on my “hate” list. And I truly hope it stays that way. 

But just know that if you make it on that list, you need to think about what you could have done. If of all the people in the world, I’m the one who says that I hate you, then you definitely fucked up in a major way. And it’s not something to be proud of.

Featured image via Ike louie Natividad on Pexels