
January 30, 2021
Part of writing a book is becoming a shameless self-promoter. Those who know me well, know that I am not especially comfortable in that role. But I’m working on it. One of the suggested tools I pursue avid use of is Twitter. So, I signed up for an account, @ThePhillipKane. As directed, I’ve been working on Tweeting and finding people to follow. Mostly, I’ve noticed what a cesspool of hate the platform is.
It seems that Twitter is the place to go if one is interested in belittling, ridiculing, being mean to, mocking, or engaging in outright hate speech toward another human being. It’s disheartening to me that so many people exist who share an apparent belief that they can find personal fulfillment in the tearing apart of another person. Or that they might find peace by causing someone else to feel poorly about themselves. Or that their candle could possible grow brighter by extinguishing someone else’s. But they can’t. It is not possible to find joy by taking it from another person.
And that’s the point for the week.
Seeking happiness in the destruction of another human being is an impossible quest. Solace cannot be found in destroying the dignity of another human being. No emptiness in one’s soul can ever be filled by “likes” gained from hatred directed at someone else.
Advocating for free expression by trying to silence another human being is not uplifting. Advocating for inclusion while openly participating in cancel culture actions is not positive behavior. Advocating for violence as a cure for violence is, well, staggeringly backwards in its construction. Justifying negative behavior ever using “whataboutism” is empty and devoid of substance, always. Virtue never chooses a side when two wrongs collide.
Loving others is a simple choice.
It takes no more effort to love than to hate. It does take courage. It does take conviction. And it does take personal pride. Hate requires none of those things.
But love is the light that will overcome darkness. It is the bond that will enable two or more human beings to withstand more than they ever dreamed possible. It is the thing that reminds us that we are more alike than we are different. And it is the only thing that will ever fill the hole in our lives that we often try to fill by tearing others apart.
So, the next time you’re about to rip someone down, don’t. It won’t make you one inch taller. It won’t replace one bit of what you’ve lost. It won’t give you one iota of peace. Only love can do that.
So, choose love. End the hate.
And win.
To purchase a copy of Phillip’s book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, from John Hunt Publishing, London, please follow this LINK.
To learn more about the author, please click HERE