Last Updated on November 23, 2023 by Terry
Let’s have some FUN. I was reading a few people’s ideas on the subject of love and the opposite of love.
I wondered if I could figure this out.
Either you feel something for someone, or you don’t, it’s as simple as that. Therefore, the opposite of love is not hatred, That’s for certain and I can prove it with logic. Apathy or indifference is the opposite. Flip it and realize that the opposite of hatred is not love, its apathy or indifference. Apathy/Indifference means lack of interest, concern, or sympathy.
Can the scripture help? I Corinthians, Chapter 13,
“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
If this, then, is the Biblical definition of love, we can infer that its opposite – whatever single word might be used for it – has the following characteristics:
Impatient, unkind, callous, envious, boastful (proud), dishonoring of others, self-serving, easily angered, grudge holding, enjoys evil and lies, lack of concern for the best interest of others, normally suspicious, and pessimistic. You can probably come up with a few more.
I wonder then, is there a single English word that encompasses all of this. I’m not sure hatred is broad enough, nor is indifference. Some combination of these two, with arrogance mixed in, may do it. But whatever the case, there’s definitely a difference between love and “anti-love? I think all of us show some of these characters and behaviors. We should remember the characteristics of love and do a better job of using them in our own character.
Or, what about Micah 6:8?
He has told you, mortal one, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Hmmmm.
Opposite of love
So, can I sum this up? The opposite of love is not hate, the opposite of art is not ugliness, the opposite of faith is not heresy, and the opposite of life is not death. The answer to all these is indifference.
Maybe the opposite of love is not hate but apathy.
The difference between hate and love then, is that in love, I do everything in my power to cause others to grow to their greatest extent while doing no harm. I teach and demonstrate to others the skills I think they need to be a better person. I teach them the skills I think they need to live and to grow, and hopefully, to prosper. I should be able to say “follow me”.
That’s not easy, to be a true leader.
Hate not only says that I dislike you, but also that I lack the capacity or refuse to accept you as you are and teach you those skills that I think you would need to know, to be accepted by me. (We all think that we are special) What about love? It says I want you to change, so that I may be happy, with you.
Then is there no love without hate, nor hate without love?
What is the opposite of hate?
It’s not love. You don’t have to love someone to not hate them. But you do have to understand how we’re all somewhat connected as human beings. In spite of our differences and disagreements, which by the way, I think are a little important. Maybe we’re still more alike than not and have more in common than not. Sort of. Does that mean we want a world or even our own community that’s less divided and less hateful? Is the opposite of hate connection? Could be.
From a play by George Bernard Shaw, “The Devil’s Disciple”:
“The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity”.
Hey, maybe he figured it out over a hundred years ago.
The lorax
While the total stance of this book was fun and inspirational, I think the real message is that indifference is real and is what stagnates or degrades our quality of life.
Because like the Lorax said: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Our conclusion maybe: It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.
Another conclusion: “Can’t we just all get along”
The simple guy from rural Arkansas