“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1. You are very intelligent and NEVER STOP asking WHY
2. You are the pope of your own life: As a free-thinker you live by your own set of rules and NO ONE, not even your beloved mother, can tell you to live otherwise. You came by your beliefs through your own experience and curiosity. You tested them and they stood up to your tests. It’s impossible for you to kowtow to religious or secular bylaws that were created to control people.
3. You understand that there are many ways to see the world
4. You have fun! Free-thinkers don’t take things too seriously when they don’t have to. It’s fun to wrap your head around new ideas. It’s fun to try new things. It’s fun to eat new foods. Life is full of adventures and free thinkers are up for adventure.
The opposite of LOVE is FEAR, according to Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and Paulo Freire (1921-1997), both said it in different ways.
Paulo Freire, a Brazilian expert on education, philosophy and psychology of language, who was a leading advocate of critical pedagogy said: “The opposite of love is not, as we many times or almost always think, hatred, but the fear to love, and fear to love is the fear of being free.”
MY OPINION:
And I have found that the opposite of love is, indeed, fear. Fear results in retraction to the individual self, to accuse the other, to choose to label, to attack, in some blind idea that psychological projection is protective. It results in judgment, anger, and separation, all opposite of the goal or the affects of love…inclusion, sharing, compassion, trust, extension, joy.
Many philosophers have explained what love is for them, and what the opposing emotion of it is: indifference, according to Elie Wiesel. I guess it depends what the situation is. But I would argue, kindly, that the indifference is provoked by fear itself.
Mind over matter. Weak minded people are easily influenced. Powerful minded people you can’t break their will. — Lee Boyd Malvo
