Do not let hatred corrode our souls【Renowned Column】

A few days ago, I received a call from a friend who is a well-known literary critic and essayist, telling me about the deep distress she’s facing. In her circle of friends in a deeply blue state, there is an endless condemnation of President Trump and his supporters, who make up more than half of the national population.

She expressed how serious the situation had been in the past, but in the last six weeks, the volume had been turned up to 11 or even higher, reaching a point of collapse. The situation had spiraled out of control, to the extent that many people would feel disgust even at the sight of the American flag.

I asked, “What exactly is going on?”

She bluntly said that hatred must stop, or it will permanently corrode the souls of those immersed in it and completely destroy any remaining functionality in the community. People urgently need to break free from the grip of hate.

My thoughts drifted back to the Victorian-era British novelist Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1886). This widely circulated story, adapted multiple times for the screen, but none can compare to the depth of the original book. Just by reading it once, I understood the truth of the matter.

The plot involves the concept of the “unreliable narrator.” The novel narrates the esteemed Dr. Jekyll’s life through the voice of a lawyer, with many details that are not fully rational. What exactly is the potion Dr. Jekyll drinks is never explained and doesn’t quite align with reality. The timeline is murky, and the protagonist’s evil deeds are never substantiated.

At some point during the reading, I realized that these events never actually occurred, not because they were fictional, but because the entire story is not literal but allegorical. It happens in the realm of imagination. It is a story about the corruption of the soul.

Recalling Dr. Jekyll’s weariness of his upright reputation and conduct, and his disdain for being the most respected and morally upright person in society. In his laboratory, he incidentally concocts a potion and drinks it, transforming him into another person – Mr. Hyde, who roams the streets at night engaging in unspeakable acts, with details left vague for the reader’s imagination to fill in. After emerging from this induced frenzy, he reverts to his former demeanor, work, and elevated status in the community.

Here we see a typical Victorian-era dilemma: how to deal with the evil lurking deep within? If one attempts to rid oneself of it, it only buries deeper, becoming more dangerous. Dr. Jekyll turns to a potion for experimentation, to expose his evil impulses.

However, a problem arises as the story progresses. The virtuous doctor is slowly drawn to his malevolent side. He could have entirely abandoned the potion and never touched it again. Unfortunately, he seeks opportunities to drink it, even becoming addicted to it, craving it more with each gulp.

With each dose of the potion, the time needed to return to his normal state grows longer. The potion ultimately drives him further from his identity as Dr. Jekyll and closer to Mr. Hyde. As time passes, he becomes increasingly unable to rid himself of the evil. We know the ending: he eventually fully transforms into a demon, dying in his laboratory, his body and soul corroded, completely destroyed.

Readers may have noticed the literary technique employed here. The novel emphasizes the special internal force of evil on one’s mind, body, and spirit. Indulging in such behavior may provide a certain sense of satisfaction, but the more one indulges in it, especially when it manifests as malice towards others, the more self-destructive it becomes, possibly leading to a fatal outcome.

Turning back to contemporary politics, many wonder what has happened to the Democratic Party, with their manic behavior, slogans, disrespect for established agreements, embarrassing videos, abnormal rhetoric and shouting, and their doctrinal solidarity and opposition to everything, even meaningful initiatives like cutting waste or approving capable agency heads, regardless of merit.

I mention these aspects to make it clear that I am not singling out the Democratic Party; other factions undoubtedly face the danger I described. As revealed in Victorian novels, this is a very human condition. I simply aim to explain why Democrats, comparatively, may be facing a collapse of their system.

This may be traced back to a psychological or spiritual force: the corrosive power of prolonged immersion in excessive hatred. Hatred acts like a poison, spreading, invading, devouring, squeezing out all goodness, honesty, and light in one’s humanity, eventually leading to one’s downfall.

This is the profound lesson Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde teach us: the reason the good doctor often drank the poison was that he became enamored with it, addicted to the pleasure of turning bad, reaching a point of no return.

The Democratic Party’s path likely began at the start of the Democratic ruling cycle from 2009 to 2017, during which they should have been the unifiers of the people as promised during their campaigns. However, it was during this period that societal trends veered closer to actual racial division and social animosity.

The DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) movement has gained prominence in the business, government, and academic realms, with its aggressive discriminatory dictates, overt quota practices, and institutionalized and systemic racism assertions that no individual can escape. Anyone who complains is deemed out of touch, non-compliant, or even a dangerous element.

The tendency to use scapegoating, loathing, and hatred as political tools was fully unleashed in 2016 when Donald Trump won the election, became a unique focal point. However, matters did not stop there as those filled with hate had to figure out why they couldn’t destroy him. Why? It was due to the multitude of his supporters, who then became the primary targets of these haters’ opposition and disgust.

Trump supporters were labeled as “deplorables,” among other derogatory terms. As time progressed, it expanded beyond the supporters to the institutions giving them a voice. They began to oppose free speech, then freedom, democracy, and finally Western governmental systems. The immigration system was exploited to conveniently replace them with more reliable voters deemed superior. The potion seeped so deeply that there was no turning back.

A few years ago, during the global pandemic of the COVID-19 virus (Wuhan virus), they irrationally shut down businesses and places of worship. This odd method was merely a tangible manifestation of their malevolent motives. At times, it was no longer about incorrect public health policies but rather an active, partisan effort to eliminate those the ruling class disliked, not about the virus but about “those people” (you know who).

Things eventually took an extreme turn, targeting the next generation, maximizing the blow to their morale, leaving them disabled. Children were ousted from schools, masked, and ultimately injected with vaccines without just cause.

Yes, I realize this is a chilling theory, but that’s the result of expending excessive mental energy on hatred. Every spiritual leader has taught this.

American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” But he also said on another occasion that sometimes the harm done to the haters is greater.

I reiterate that I do not intend to single out any particular ideology or political party. Every group is susceptible to this condition, with undoubtedly many haters among Republicans and right-wing individuals (if these terms still hold meaning).

The key issue is that we have long heard of the hatred problem in America, and this is true. When such movements are launched on a large scale, there are some strange omens: it could be a preparation to prevent accusers from being suspected of being experts in what they accuse others of. And this may very well be the case we are witnessing now.

In recent years, as we witnessed the disintegration of civil society, we have seen more and more of these manifestations. It would be wise for us to revisit the lesson “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” imparts: excessive indulgence in harboring evil towards others eventually rebounds on oneself. The power of hatred is incredibly potent, blinding judgment, expelling virtues, and corroding morals. The only way to end this process is to stop immediately – put away the potion to allow the body and soul to heal.

This is precisely what our country needs at the moment. Recently, I have seen some evidence suggesting that mainstream media is attempting to reduce the demonization of Trump supporters, trying to understand their valid concerns, and even reflect on what they may have overlooked. This is crucial and should begin as soon as possible.

As my friend suggested, the current practice of internal hatred and incessant demonization of others is fundamentally unsustainable. No one wishes to live like this. Each of us, regardless of our biases or allegiances, needs to strive to understand others’ viewpoints. We may never fully succeed in doing so, but at least the attempt to do so could set aside our loathing, perhaps bringing a glimmer of hope for repairing our fractured communities and lives.