“Promote what you love instead of criticizing what you hate” is an idea that goes against the norm.

Quite often, contemplation spawns me further when I see various posts and sayings on Facebook that pass through my wall. This phrase, “Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate,” resonated. It has a good meaning. It’s a call to focus on the good things in life, like celebrating instead of criticizing. Even though the idea behind such a mantra is good, it needs to be more concise about how people speak to each other and how hard it is to make social change. I want to look at this idea differently than in black and white.

The quote implies only two options: supporting love or bashing hate. It oversimplifies human experience and conversation. Importantly, it doesn’t consider the complexities that constructive criticism can improve in our lives, which are vital to growth, development, and social progress. The lack of criticism could unintentionally lead to complacency, which makes people blindly accept the status quo and slows down societal changes.

When there is injustice, racism, intolerance, oppression, or unethical behavior, it is morally essential to talk about and sometimes “bash” the things that cause hate. If you don’t say anything or don’t care about these wrongdoings, you might encourage them and let them go on. Our silence can…