Love
Love is a central part of human existence. Humanity cannot survive without it and it is part of the daily life of every mature human person. Of course, many people seem permanently engrossed in self-love or tribal love rather than universal love, but considered as a whole the balance seems to be slowly growing in favor of universal love as humanity slowly grows more aware of itself and its place in the universe.
We will also discuss Hate here, because it is the antithesis of Love. Love can be very simply defined as a state of will that aims to increase the being of another, whether that increase be in health, comfort, stature, or something else. Love of another inherently involves a sacrifice of one’s own being, as you direct your life energy, time, and other vital resources toward improving another. Hate likewise can be defined as a state of will that aims to decrease another in being, with the goal of destroying the other. A sacrifice is also involved in hate, for not only do you devote your time and vital energy to destroying the target of your hatred, but your hatred decreases your ability to love.
We will discuss fear in this section because fear is undoubtedly the cause of Hate. Without fear, there can be no hate. As Gandhi noted, “The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear.”
Finally, we will discuss life in this section because Love makes human life possible, and fear (through its agents hatred and violence) degrades and destroys life.
