The Opposite of Love

There's a woman who calls herself Ingunn Sigurdsdatter. She's quite an eccentric, and I follow her on Facebook because of the things she says and does. It's as if she's my spiritual mirror image. Her angle of observation is often opposite to mine, yet she keeps coming to conclusions identical to what I've arrived at. She's an anarchist. She's also Christian leaning in her world views.

She made herself famous in Norway for her anti-state activities, which were rather loud and antagonistic. I found it all a bit silly. Why bother with the fight? It's not like the average bureaucrat is interested in the anarchist viewpoint. My approach to the same problem was simply to pull my support in silence.

She has since toned down her fighting spirit by a lot. She's more of a mellow hippy by now. But she's no less sincere and well reflected. She's as well spoken and clear as ever. Her posts are well worth reading.

I was especially impressed by her latest post. It read like a sermon written by a sincere and well meaning priest. She encouraged people to stop arguing, and start living instead. That's an idea I can relate to. She mentioned sin as merely another word for missing the target. That too, I can wholeheartedly agree with. Then, she wrote about love, and what it really means. That's when she said something interesting that I hadn't fully considered. The opposite of love is not hate, but fear.

Hate is a passion. It's similar to love, and is at times an element of it, especially in situations where loved ones are threatened. Hate doesn't inhibit love. However, fear does. That's why we need to master our fears, and learn to distinguish between legitimate fear and irrational fear. If we let ourselves be controlled by irrational fear, we end up unable to live with enthusiasm. We become dead inside, and that numbness to life is the opposite of love.

Once we know this, we can more readily relate to the fear that surrounds us. The answer to this fear is simple. It's love. Living life fully and bravely without fear begets admiration and love. That's the essence of it, and the solution to the current spiritual crisis. No arguments are needed. No verbal or physical fighting is required. Force must only be used in self defence, and always as limited as possible. If at all possible, avoid conflicts of all kinds. Nothing is gained through constant bickering.

Liberty