Our brain runs many interesting processes throughout our lives, and love and hate are just two of them. In essence, both feelings are very similar in the sense that they are often directed at a person or group of people who trigger them in us. And yet, when we talk about love and hate, we always think of them as two opposing forces that should never coexist. Or should they?
Loving someone means wishing them all the best, wanting them to be successful in all aspects of their life, and admiring them for who they are. Hating someone means the exact opposite, wanting them to fail, have a bad life, and not like the person they are. Those are two extremely fascinating concepts of the human brain that deserve a little attention. In this article, this is what we are going to do to better understand the similarities and differences between love and hate.
It’s a fine line between love and hate
It is not necessary to have studied human psychology or to be an expert in this field to realize that love and hate can coexist in our daily lives. Experience teaches us all that where there is strong love, there can also be strong feelings of hatred and vice versa. But how is this possible? Well, it’s a very fine line between love and hate , and we as people know that very well.
The feelings of love and hate are two of the strongest that exist, and if you have them both in your life, they can keep you very busy and awake at night. The main idea is that both emotions are very different from other emotions and can really wreak havoc on both your life and your partner’s. It is very interesting to consider the concept of physical attraction when talking about love and hate. Loving someone comes with the need to have intimate contact with him, to always be close to him, touch him and caress him. Now think about hatred. Don’t be surprised to find yourself in dire need to touch the person you hate, but not in a pleasant way. This is just one example to show how powerful these two emotions are and how thin the line is between them.
The main problem with such relationships is that you cannot continue like this unless you get away from that fine line we mentioned. Without some balancing , there can be no peace. Approaching that fine line becomes clear each time your feeling of love intensifies. You may start to feel both emotions at the same time. Beyond that, getting caught up in something that once hurt you, like one of your partner’s comments, can easily turn love into hate.
Jealousy and possession are two things that are born from this unhealthy combination of love and hate. Insecurity is at the root of both, which comes from strong feelings of love combined with hatred. Overreacting and becoming abusive to your partner are often the next steps when it comes to such a relationship. This is the main reason why this mixture of feelings should be kept away and you must distance yourself from that fine line between love and hate.
What does a love/hate relationship mean?
As mentioned above, a love/hate relationship is difficult to explain, but in essence, it can be very straightforward. One of the most popular reasons for this crazy duality to occur is when your love is unrequited. This is especially difficult if you consider yourself a kind and lovable person and find that the person you are falling in love with doesn’t feel the same way. It can drive anyone crazy and make you target the other person with your negative feelings that, after a while, can turn into hatred.
Another reason you might start a love/hate relationship with someone is when they take away your personal freedom, voluntarily or even involuntarily. Being in a relationship means spending time with that person. However, at times, you may feel that your own personal freedom is being destroyed in this way and that you no longer have time for yourself and your own pleasures. Over time, if not discussed and resolved, this little issue can turn into a mountain of hatred towards that other person because you feel controlled and like you are in jail.
Being vulnerable in a relationship can also turn it into a love/hate one because you let your guard down, and in turn, you start to hate that person for forcing you to do this, willingly or not.
The other person’s bad habits can also make you hate them, even if, at first, you probably loved them very much. This is the root of all abusive relationships that occur today, where one partner becomes hateful towards the other because of the way they behave. In such cases, this troubled relationship should cease to exist and both partners should find their own ways, before more serious things happen.
The similarities between love and hate
You may wonder why love and hate, two feelings that seem to be on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, have so much in common and why they often coexist. That’s because they also have a lot of similarities.
- His strength: love and hate are two of the strongest emotions that a human being is capable of. You can’t love or hate someone “a little bit” because it just doesn’t make any sense. For such cases, we use different words like “I like” or “I don’t like” someone. Furthermore, hate stems from love and is especially present when that love is unrequited or ends abruptly. Without strong feelings of love, there can be no strong feelings of hatred.
- Your addressee: like love, hate is also directed at another person. When you love someone, the entire responsibility for making you happy is on their shoulders. You cannot intervene in any way to facilitate it. When the other person does not act in the expected way, feelings of hatred appear and develop, also towards that other person. Yes, you might think that something is wrong with you if they don’t like you, but there is a long way from this to hating yourself. Usually you start to hate the other.
Phrases from famous songs and movies that express both love and hate
This fascinating connection between love and hate has been the subject of many songs and movies throughout the ages. One more proof that, if you are going through something similar, you are not the only one. Some of the most popular hits and blockbuster movies build on this complex idea because it offers so many interesting ideas and situations that can be shown and exploited so that people can learn from them. Here is a selection of quotes from famous songs and movies that relate to the duality of love and hate:
- “I hate the way you love” – The Kills
- “Thin line between love and hate” – The Persuaders.
- “To love and hate what a beautiful combination / Send shivers down my spine” – Erasure
- “Without you / I can’t stop the pain inside / When love and hate collide” – Def Leppard,
- “Love me or hate me, both are in my favor” – William Shakespeare
- “Believe me when I say it took a lot of love for me to hate him like I do.” – Legend (2015)
- “But jealousy is just loving and hating at the same time.” – Drake
conclusion
All in all, when talking about love, from now on, expect people to talk about hate too. The differences and similarities between these two concepts are a very interesting topic to expand on, and definitely something to think about in regards to your own relationship. As we have seen in this article, there are many things that these two emotions have in common, oddly enough. So it’s about you and how you can balance them so that your life is harmonious and happy, without having to worry about being slowly dragged into a love / hate relationship.