Xx Peach xX (143363031) wrote:

Thriller (126579776) wrote:

SvG Jericha (6077295) wrote:

Doodler (10729465) wrote:

Thriller (126579776) wrote:TY Zany ^^^^^^

Since this thread may or may not have anything at all to do with Yo............

Is it even possible to "love everyone"? Because if I'm being honest, I don't think anyone can really love everyone. I mean, have you guys seen some of the "everyones" out there? I'm part of everyone, and I can barely tolerate myself.

Do you think Gandi loved everyone? Mother Theresa? The Dalai Lama? What does loving EVERYONE actually look like?

Of course you can love everyone. I don't have to like what they do or what they stand for, but on a spiritual or soul level, I definitely love everyone.

Would that not be called empathy instead of love?

Defining what "love" is as it relates to others has been one of the toughest things I've ever tried to do. It's a truly nebulous term that encapsulates a wide range of emotions and behaviors. And each of us defines it differently and applies different weights to each possible dimension of love.

The list of things that people toss in their love bucket is endless - gifts, sex, time, connection, commitment, support, words, empathy, affirmation, correction, sacrifice, etc etc etc....... Any of these can be included or excluded at differing weights in order for someone to measure love. It is simply the most nebulous and exhausting concept to wrap my mind around.

I like what Doodles said. I do think it is possible to determine to love everyone on some level. At the base of it, showing care and consideration for others is a type of love - even if they do things that we don't like. But then when I expand beyond care and consideration, I wrestle with the rest of what love includes.

Loving everyone is not possible, and I am skeptical of people who say that un-ironically (I think OP wasn't that serious, so I'm not talking about him)... do you say that you love everyone look good? Let's be honest here.

I don't love rapists, murderers, abusers, racists, sexists, homophobes, and the list goes on. Now, the level of dislike for those people are different from one to the other. Some people I'm close to and know in RL are sexist and homophobes, so it's complicated for me. I don't hate them, and I do care for them because it's possible to change and they are brainwashed from childhood. But murderers, rapists, pedos, dictators (like hitler) I absolutely HATE. It's not possible to love everyone, hell no.

also @bolded yeah when it's not completely horrible. Like believing in a different religion or having a different political stance. Sure, I have friends that I "love" (hell, i wouldn't even say love, i'll go with like because love is a strong word) like that. But full-on criminals? no way. People do realize there's a bunch of criminals out there, right? they're included in the "everyone".

Rod, would you show care and consideration for Hitler?

Well, there are exceptions to the rule as to me feeling people just suck. Peach doesn't. Peach is actually pretty freaking cool.

There's an entire list:
Hitler, Trump, Mussolini, Caligula, Stalin, Himmler, Kim Jong-Un, Idi Amin, Pol Pot...and that list goes on and on. I don't think I'd be professing any love for these people.

.

Xx Peach xX (143363031) wrote:

SvG Jericha (6077295) wrote:That's way too much time and energy into that. I'll just continue to dislike everyone equally because I think, in general, people just suck.

I like you.

I think you're pretty freaking cool, too!

Xx Peach xX (143363031) wrote:

Thriller (126579776) wrote:

SvG Jericha (6077295) wrote:

Doodler (10729465) wrote:

Thriller (126579776) wrote:TY Zany ^^^^^^

Since this thread may or may not have anything at all to do with Yo............

Is it even possible to "love everyone"? Because if I'm being honest, I don't think anyone can really love everyone. I mean, have you guys seen some of the "everyones" out there? I'm part of everyone, and I can barely tolerate myself.

Do you think Gandi loved everyone? Mother Theresa? The Dalai Lama? What does loving EVERYONE actually look like?

Of course you can love everyone. I don't have to like what they do or what they stand for, but on a spiritual or soul level, I definitely love everyone.

Would that not be called empathy instead of love?

Defining what "love" is as it relates to others has been one of the toughest things I've ever tried to do. It's a truly nebulous term that encapsulates a wide range of emotions and behaviors. And each of us defines it differently and applies different weights to each possible dimension of love.

The list of things that people toss in their love bucket is endless - gifts, sex, time, connection, commitment, support, words, empathy, affirmation, correction, sacrifice, etc etc etc....... Any of these can be included or excluded at differing weights in order for someone to measure love. It is simply the most nebulous and exhausting concept to wrap my mind around.

I like what Doodles said. I do think it is possible to determine to love everyone on some level. At the base of it, showing care and consideration for others is a type of love - even if they do things that we don't like. But then when I expand beyond care and consideration, I wrestle with the rest of what love includes.

Loving everyone is not possible, and I am skeptical of people who say that un-ironically (I think OP wasn't that serious, so I'm not talking about him)... do you say that you love everyone look good? Let's be honest here.

I don't love rapists, murderers, abusers, racists, sexists, homophobes, and the list goes on. Now, the level of dislike for those people are different from one to the other. Some people I'm close to and know in RL are sexist and homophobes, so it's complicated for me. I don't hate them, and I do care for them because it's possible to change and they are brainwashed from childhood. But murderers, rapists, pedos, dictators (like hitler) I absolutely HATE. It's not possible to love everyone, hell no.

also @bolded yeah when it's not completely horrible. Like believing in a different religion or having a different political stance. Sure, I have friends that I "love" (hell, i wouldn't even say love, i'll go with like because love is a strong word) like that. But full-on criminals? no way. People do realize there's a bunch of criminals out there, right? they're included in the "everyone".

Rod, would you show care and consideration for Hitler?

Great observations and questions. Since ole Hitler is the banner boy for evil, he's as good as it gets when trying to define "love" and how to apply it across humanity. I'd say we'll all agree the things he did were generally evil, the ideas he pushed were also evil, and that the man himself no doubt had some truly evil personal issues.

This leads to an important distinction that I know some people can accept and others cannot - is it possible to separate a human from what they've done with who they are. Because if we can't, then we say there is no way to love everyone, and very possibly not anyone. And if we can, then we can love anyone, even Hitler and pedos and rapists.....etc etc.

There's evil and good in all of us. They exist in different quantities. They ebb and flow over time within us as we live our lives. Everyone we love that has lived for 30 years, has most likely done something at some point that was vile, cruel, wrong, and abusive to someone. So how do we forgive some and love them, and not forgive others and love them? It's because we've arbitrarily assigned some people with a pass and others with eternal damnation. We've decided that some people are just pure "evil" and unworthy of the same forgiveness we've given to some who may have done worse things. This is the construct we process things through.

I'm as guilty as anyone. I have a hard time accepting that it is possible to love the worst in society. So much so that I'm doubtful I'll ever succeed. But I'll be damned if I'll stop trying to figure out how.

Its not possible to love everyone. Every single person alive has at least 1 person they absolutely loathe and cannot stand the sight of, despite how open minded they are. There are some people, that will grind your nerves into a pulp, and fan the flames of your burning anger. To deny such feelings, is to deny a part of your humanity.


The dictators posted above, is a prime example of history providing the proof for that. They were souless monsters who seeked to destroy. They are quite easy to hate, because of what they done to humanity, and what they stood for.

DinosaurNerd89 (11877186) wrote:Its not possible to love everyone. Every single person alive has at least 1 person they absolutely loathe and cannot stand the sight of, despite how open minded they are. There are some people, that will grind your nerves into a pulp, and fan the flames of your burning anger. To deny such feelings, is to deny a part of your humanity.


The dictators posted above, is a prime example of history providing the proof for that. They were souless monsters who seeked to destroy. They are quite easy to hate, because of what they done to humanity, and what they stood for.

And anyone who still insists that they do is lying to themselves. They are not convincing me, for sure.

DinosaurNerd89 (11877186) wrote:Its not possible to love everyone. Every single person alive has at least 1 person they absolutely loathe and cannot stand the sight of, despite how open-minded they are.

I honestly didn't until I was 50. Now there are two. If you knew what they did to me, you'd understand the loathing.

I'm always curious who dislikes and loathes me. I lose no sleep over it, because I've always believed that no one likes everyone or is liked by everyone, and it isn't a goal or anything. Just a curiosity. It actually bugs the hell out of me that a close friend is undependable because she'll change her position on anything or leave anyone hanging just to be liked.

The feeling isnt mutual