"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us." - Herman Hesse, Demian
Last night during an interview with a documentary filmmaker, I heard the interviewer ask about this statement: "You are what you hate."*
Sometimes if we don't feel the intensity of hatred, yet there may be annoyance, dislike ("don't like __"), a sensation of pushing away, rejection, withdrawal, pulling away, pushback, aversion present with a person, thing, thought, feeling, and/or situation.
Notice when there is pulling back or a pushing away energy in your daily life today (don't attempt to change it or you). .. simply an exercise in observation, in awareness.
Often a "push away" arena is one that we haven't really allowed to be seen with inquisiteness, and thus we are not present (it's a form of resistance as it is impossible to be fully present plus checked out in withdrawing from the present we "hate" simultaneously).
One need not have to actually like or prefer something to be a neutral space of observation. From that neutral space many insights may be revealed--as well as a sense of pervasive wholeness.
Today, notice not what you enjoy and easily take note of, notice not what is neutral--notice what has an edge of distaste to it for you (nevermind popular opinion). Use that in your focal point for your writing, photography, sketch or other expression. Put concrete imagery to it:
"Instead of telling your emotions, show it by using concrete imagery.
Example of telling:
the funeral over--
the house is so lonely
without him
Example of showing:
the funeral over--
his aftershave lingers
in our bedroom
This shows loneliness. However, the phrase "I'm lonely" is nowhere in this poem. This is just one of many examples of show don't tell." - from ShadowPoetry.com website resources on Haiku and Senryu
* I don't recall who said that quote originally.
ART CREDITS: Private Property by Cecilia Feld
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