The fruits and juices of life will pass before your eyes if you let hatred consume you. I want more than anything for you to overcome this burden. Hatred often stems from seeing yourself as a victim—something that, more often than not, is true. But from that seed of victimhood grows anger, violence, resentment, envy, and countless other destructive emotions.

Do I ask you to deny your pain or pretend it does not exist? Absolutely not, my friend. Acknowledge your hurt. Feel it. But then move beyond it. As a wise man once said, “I do not know the formula for success, but the surest path to failure is a constant victim mentality.” How profound. Indeed, to dwell in hatred, to mourn endlessly, and to lock yourself in the box of your pain is to stifle your potential. To rid yourself of hatred and to forgive is not to absolve others of their actions—it is to free yourself.

Just as love lifts and elevates, hatred drags you down. To live as a philosopher, to truly grow, is to undergo a transformation—a journey that requires walking through fire. Those flames are the negative emotions you must confront and overcome.

Does this mean I’m asking you to be naive or to play the role of the nice guy with the wicked? Certainly not. “There is no virtue in being nice to the wicked,” said that same wise man. To do so is to be complicit in their actions. What I encourage is for you to learn to defend yourself from harm while refusing to imprison your heart in hatred.

If someone hurts you, it is a sign that you still have work to do in protecting yourself. Take this as a lesson, not as a defeat. Learn how to safeguard your boundaries without succumbing to bitterness. Likewise, learn not to become an oppressor yourself should you ever find yourself in a position of power.

Farewell, my friend.