The Mirror of Hate: Shifting the Reflection

Sailors, 
We may dislike others for valid reasons - differences in values, conflicting interests, personal disagreements, and so on. Dislike is shaped by our personal experiences and perspectives, carrying no definitive truth. It is a reflection of individual perception rather than an objective reality. However, dislike can escalate into hate, and that often stems from something deeper within the person expressing it. Hatred is rarely about the one receiving it; it is a reflection of unresolved struggles, insecurities, and inner turmoil within the one projecting it. 

I've found myself on the floor, trying to put the pieces of me back together, wondering why I had haters; people who made it known they did not like me, who judged me unfairly, and who seemed determined to tear me down or break me. I let their hate weigh so heavily on me. I analyzed words, replayed actions, and questioned what I had done so wrong to deserve such persistent negativity. But then, I had a realization that changed everything.

Whenever I have felt intense dislike or resentment toward someone, I eventually come to learn that it was never really about them; it was about me. Something about them triggered my insecurities, my wounds, and my emotions that I hadn’t fully processed. And if that was true for me, could it be true for them too? That was the moment everything shifted.

Another's hate is never truly about us. It feels personal, but in reality, it is a manifestation of their own struggles, their own inner battles. The negativity another directs our way isn't a reflection of our value, but a mirror of their pain. No matter how much someone tries to break another, we remain whole on the other side. Once I saw this clearly, everything changed. I stopped letting other opinions dictate my sense of self, and most importantly, I stopped carrying the weight of others' burdens as if they were my own.



If you’ve ever felt crushed by someone else’s criticism or anger, picking up the pieces of yourself, I want you to know this: their hate does not define you. It reflects them, not you. People project when they don’t know how to face their emotions, when they’re battling wounds they haven’t healed. You don’t have to absorb them. You don’t have to let their brokenness distort your self-worth.

When you recognize that another's negativity is rooted in their struggles, not in your value, you set yourself free. You reclaim your peace, your confidence, your power. What if no one truly has haters? What if we are just experiencing people in pain, people who, deep down, are carrying more than they want to admit to themselves? More than they are ready to face. That pain, that’s theirs, it's not yours.


We are not obligated to accept projections as truth, and we have the power to decide what we internalize. Understand that others are simply navigating their own storms, and it's not our responsibility to endure. For me, I have a canoe built by two who created two more and welcomed in a few sets of paws - no matter how rough the waters get, I keep treading. I hope you find your own way to keep moving forward, too, no matter whose storm comes your way.