Misunderstanding Hate and Humanity
I wrote last year about how We can’t turn off our emotional systems and we all share the same emotions, regarding NYU’s likely well-intentioned but misguided posters decrying saying “hate has no place at NYU.”
I wrote then:
To say “Hate has no place at NYU” seems like saying “Thumbs have no place at NYU” or “Spleens have no place at NYU.” We all have the wiring to hate. To say it has no place at NYU means no human has a place at NYU.
To clarify: I understand they don’t mean it literally. I’m not trying to single out NYU. I hear these phrases everywhere. Overall, I’m confident I agree with their intended message, though I can’t be sure, since whatever they mean to communicate, they aren’t communicating it. I can’t imagine they mean to keep out an essential human emotion. I think they mean the expression or manifestation of hating people in a way that harms them, though, again, I can’t be sure. I don’t think they mean you have no place if you hate that it rained the day you wore your new outfit. I don’t know if they mean you have no place if you hate racism.
My point is that they are promoting lowering self-awareness. They are implying an emotion everyone feels can be turned off. Our culture makes self-awareness hard enough already. Why add to it? Why not express a point so easily misunderstood accurately?
You’re not a bad person because you possess the circuitry for hate. We all share it. You don’t choose to be born with a human emotional system. Personally, I consider the human emotional system beautiful and wouldn’t promote pulling any parts out.
I’m repeating the message today for a message from the MTA on a bus: “Hate has no place on our buses.”
Again, I know what they mean, but what they’re saying hurts people. It makes them feel shame for something perfectly natural and as human as happiness and love.
My goal is to help raise self-awareness.
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