James Baldwin: I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.

– James Baldwin

Yes, if we avoid our own pain we react to it.

And we react to it in a number of ways: Distractions. Entertainment. Work. Spending time in nature. Meditation. Talking with friends. Sex. Drugs. Anger. Fear. Ideologies. Wishful thinking. Fearful thinking. Hate. And much more.

We can use just about anything as a distraction from our own pain. And any time we go into something with compulsion – or defensiveness – it’s an indication we do.

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