Contrary to rumors,
haters get lonely too.

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Haters Get Lonely Too
written & edited by Kendall F. Person

In 1997, An Angry World was unleashed upon an unsuspecting underground fan base. Without the drama of Capturing Spring nor the psychotic escapism of The Remembrance, and with its all or none ending, readers were left stunned and confused. For the vengeance that was wrought was not caused by a cyclone or tsunami. Nor did it end in a World War III. What caused the fictional town of Sacramento to spin out of control, was the exasperating emotion of hate, born of haters.

Stas Svechnikov

The term haters is not the action tense of the word hate. They are mutually exclusive in use and even where they arise from within. Hate derives from the heart and can be stone cold once we are bound by its grip. Haters is psychological, not personal, and since it comes from the brain, it can be easily controlled, flicked on and off like a light switch. There is generally no bases, no gravitas, nothing to make it real, therefore it lacks the power to seize control.

Hate is fueled by emotions of the heart, hence the statement there is a fine line between love and hate is not a cliche, just ask anyone who has been a victim of spousal abuse. The longer the abuse is allowed to go on, the more intense the beatings become. All because hate lives on the same linear plane as the power of  love felt on our wedding day. Upon reaching the pinnacle of inner emotional power, it can become the ruler of our lives, and only death, not necessarily our own, can stop it.

The term haters grew into its own through the rise and self-defined understanding of the darker side of social media. But its use derives from a very real place; Allowing every day social courtesies to be dismissed in a society online, fuels the fire and rather there is intent becomes irrelevant. And in the long run, the non-responses or the dismissive ‘thumps up’ replies, can take the emotion out of being ‘friends’ so we reduce them to haters, as a way to protect our own pride, wounded by unfair expectations that our messages take precedence over the others’ in their inbox.

Smoking by Llywelyn Nys

Most times, the ‘friend’ on the other end, had no intent of ignoring us, in fact they may have meant to respond, but the constant barrage of messages, tags, and request can rack up so quickly, that we begin to treat – unintentionally – even the most special relationships as if they were trolls sending spam.

The fictional characters of Dave Roberts and Ricky, were mutual haters, but after the external clash, they would lose the internal struggle and the haters begin to hate. It would erupt and consume so fast, that with the exception of one little boy, no one could comprehend, that they were living in an angry world of their own making.

A simple exchange of social graces or taking a moment to put a non response into perspective, can prevent the rise of hate. But even if they are real, reach out and say hi, because I imagine, that haters get lonely too.

• this is…. The Neighborhood