Many philosophers have written on this subject, and there are countless opinions on what love is. But what does the dictionary say about this?

Love: “A feeling of strong or constant affection for a person. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

And the opposite:

Hate: Extreme dislike or disgust. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Nowadays, love or affection is often confused with sex, thereby lowering the status of this term. But love is definitely more than just physical contact. You can have sex without loving your partner.

But the love of a child for its mother... The devoted admiration of a man in love for his partner, or the love he feels for his grandchild... These are great feelings and bring happiness to a person.

All human relationships have ups and downs. But in the moment we lose a loved one, we often wish we hadn't been so harsh when an argument broke out. No matter how angry we were at the deceased person, in retrospect it seems like a small thing.

And we regret not showing more love and understanding in such moments. We haven't told him enough times that we love him...

This clearly shows that people know deep down that they should treat others with respect and love.

You only feel bad if you don't treat them like that.

And this is true even if movies or the media try to convince us otherwise. (The main character is somehow hurt, and he takes revenge on everyone who had anything to do with it. He does all this in order to feel "better" afterwards.)

In fact, people who hate everything and everyone will always be unhappy and unlucky in the long run. Regardless of what they claim...

Watch carefully for criminals or people who trap and scam others! They are not happy. They fear retribution, have to hide, lie, or be persecuted or imprisoned, and so on.

However, people who love others, or at least try to treat people with love, are happy. They never have to fear revenge or the police, and they have a clear conscience.

Cheerfully playing, carefree children see the world as a great gift. They feel love for all animals, all toys and all stones. And they are really happy!

Cheating and crime are not on the agenda until you start hating others. Taking revenge or retaliating against the other is not necessarily the right way.

Hate begets hate. Love begets love.

So the way out is pretty obvious, even if it sounds a bit corny:

Try to treat others with love and understanding and you will create a happier life for yourself and others.

Imagine if only every second person adhered to this... All of us would have a much nicer and simpler life.

I want you to remember what is really important in life every time you look at this artwork:

Give love and understanding to those around you, even if it is difficult for you sometimes.

If you can achieve this, a happy and fulfilled life awaits you. But if you choose hate, don't expect to get much love or love back...

It's up to you which of the two paths you choose.

I hope you will make the right choice.

Good luck for that!

Laszlo Lind (2018)