Choose Your Words Carefully: Hate

This is the first in a series of explorations into the words we use everyday, and the effect — both positive and negative — that they have on our world and the people around us.

What goes through your mind when you hear the word hate?

The word conjures up images of past atrocities and present injustices. It’s use as an adjective in hate-crime represents one of the most horrible offenses one can commit in our society. And yet… we also use it to describe our aversion to a particular type of music, to a certain food, or worse still… to another human being.

It strikes me as strange (and a little worrying) how easily we — myself included I’m ashamed to say — switch the meaning of hate from the profound to the banal so easily and without regard to its effects.

The dictionary defines the word hate in both verb and noun form:

Verb
To dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest.

Noun
Intense dislike; extreme aversion or hostility.

Note the use of the word hostility in both examples. That is itself a powerful word that conjures up intensely negative images. Now think about how often you use the word hate. Does it make sense? Does the target fit the epithet?

Comedian George Carlin once observed that as human beings we think in language, and therefore the quality of our thoughts and ideas can only be as good as the quality of our language.

Every day the news shows us the horrific effects of hatred and hostility, no matter how noble the cause may seem. If we use such emotionally charged words as hate so cavalierly, is it any wonder our society has many of the issues it does?

Perhaps we create the world we describe to ourselves. If this is so, then to create a better world, we need to use better words.

I’m willing to try, how about you?