A viewer asks: “Many people who hate, are fond of “hugging their cactus” so to speak. Can hate actually operate as a block to pain, an actual strategy, and means of obstructing it or blocking it out? And is emotional pain, a form of empathy? For it is said we must be empathetic with ourselves even. Can hate of others, hate of the self, work as a pain blocker, keeping a being stuck in place because they are avoiding pain and not dealing with the issue effectively?”

This, in fact, does happen. Hatred is always an inner reaction to a lack of love in some respect. It is a recognition of the unfairness of a situation or how one is being treated and always, at some level, there is love being denied or love prevented, or love taken away through a misrepresentation, and in that love vacuum, hatred can bloom. Hatred is a state of misalignment. It is a departure from divine alignment and, as such, represents a deep need for healing. It may be less distressing to experience the emotion of hate than the emotion of pain and loss for some and, in that respect, can be seen as a defense mechanism, as a compensation. In effect, it is a higher vibration to hold anger than it is to feel humiliated and powerless when harmed by others. So anger can be a useful motivation to see that a situation is worked on and brought into better balance. This may well be by confronting a perpetrator and calling them to task for their wrongdoing and demanding restitution or at least an apology. Righteous anger can be a very useful social interchange for keeping people honest and above board and civil in their interactions with others. That is why it is in the toolkit of human beings to begin with. But as the ultimate goal is always the restoration of realignment with a feeling of loving kindness within that can be shared with others, anything giving rise to anger must be resolved in some way to allow this to happen. Anger harbored on a long-term basis, giving rise to resentment and grudges, becomes a chronic impediment to restoration of inner balance and harmony and to further growth of the individual. This is why anger can become so very toxic and why it punishes the self as much or even more so than the other party. This is why it is always a useful exercise to deal with anger, to sort through the reason it is experienced, and devise a strategy to resolve the anger so one can return to emotional neutrality and, if possible, a positive state of mind.