Reply #11: Or fear mails. [View All]

[aquart]

Frightened people spreading their fears. "Hate" is a very easy designation, but it actually takes much more energy than fear. Fear is essentially passive, hate is aggressive.

People hesitate to spread "hate." They know it's nasty. But fear? Warning people that their worst fears are about to be realized? That's not the least bit hard to do. Self-justifying, even.

The only reasonable response to an aggressive emotion like "hate" is a matching or more powerful aggression. So, unless you are prepared to escalate your response, designating this as "hate mail" isn't useful. It can only make you feel impotent. But understanding that it's FEAR, means there are many positive actions that can be taken to address and calm the anxiety.