"For real?"

I often wonder what causes hatred in people.  

Well, the short, obvious answer is that mankind was born with a sin nature, one predicated on evil since the original sin.  But I see the ways in which some people live their lives and just wonder how such hateful actions, words and looks can be produced from within and manifested in a way that can be so egregious towards others.  Sometimes I take a step back from life and ask myself, "For real??"  

These instances of loathing can be subtle.  Sometimes I hear this hatred lucidly in the way that people refer to others... I wonder, as their contempt for another "kind" of people drips from their lips, "Do they know how bigoted and they sound... or are they proud to be of this mindset?"  These sorts of episodes are most apparent when the topics of politics, religion and race arise, but have permeated societies and rear their ugly heads similarly in less predictable settings.   

I've noted that essentially all hateful acts, sentiments and sayings are caused in one form or another by extremism.  If it's not an extremist act, it's an extremist belief.  If it's not his or her own extremist opinion, it's someone else's causing division. Or perchance, these are caused by a person who is as weak as to latch on to the extremist belief of another in true lemming fashion - without having formulated his or her own opinion.  

I believe that many people are plagued by a certain void in their life.  A festering, empty space they can feel, aching, but not grasp with the grubby fingers of their mind, no matter what they do. This is again a result of the sin nature that humans are born into, a manifestation of the human desire to have a relationship with God. They try to fill it with many things; both physical and intangible.  And when they come upon something they sense is steadfast, (for what can seem more stable to the precariously emotional heart than a firm and seemingly unshakeable creed?) they latch on; in a feeble attempt to gain a sense of stability in their lives.  Unknowingly, or consciously even, they surrender a bit of themselves to this creed - a sacrifice for solidarity.

To be honest, I think it is perfectly acceptable to feel adamant on an issue and hold extreme views about it.  Many times, a person holds these views for legitimate reasons; reasons that can be based on informed decisions made by that person, and life experiences he or she has had.  I think where a responsible and considerate citizen with extreme views is separated from the extremist who harbors hatred in his heart, and foolishly decides to share it with everyone is in the considerate citizen's respect for others' beliefs.  Now, this may sound old hat to some, a trite concept that people pass around to aim for an ideal society, one with love and mutual regard for others, but I believe that people should really take heed to this kind of mindset. No matter how naive, outlandish, or vacuous a different take on things may seem to us... we should retain a certain respect for others beliefs or customs.  Because, in this case, the idiom, "variety is the spice of life," really holds true.