Let's Talk About It With Myeka: Unlearning Hate

Be honest. In childhood, have you ever teased another child for being different? Being overweight? Being extremely short? Being extremely tall? Talking with a lisp? Not being able to play a sport? Not being able to read in class? Being unattractive? Wearing unfashionable clothing? Having short hair? Having pimples? Being quiet and shy?  Think about it. Acts of meanness often are considered a part of childhood, and yet, they are acts that should have been corrected by the adults who often are too distracted or preoccupied to take the opportunity to teach moral values of compassion when children are treating each other cruelly. What makes a person denigrate another? Ones own low self esteem. We see it manifest in adulthood as vicious gossip. Its still hurtful, its still hateful, it still causes conflict in our homes, our communities, our organizations. How do we unlearn hateful behavior that causes lifelong emotional scars on those who have lived through the abuse of teasing from their tormentors?