this is not to say haters, as they are traditionally defined, don’t exist! there is energy and action in hate, there is a sense of power. i know people who hate things because it’s fun to hate them. i’ve also indulged in this. there are people who live to be cruel, because they are powerless in every other area of their life.

but the other side of the coin is to disregard all negativity as hate. and i have always thought negativity was allowed to be part of the conversation — depending on how it’s expressed. this is why i love parody and satire. good satire destroys its target from within — and the only way it got inside is because its originator loved the thing they took apart. it demands self-reflection, which is always useful. no one is immune to it. and something stronger and more bulletproof can emerge.

it’s too easy to discount detractors as haters, or just jealous. it is really, really hard to read negative comments. a single one can obliterate 100 positive ones. but amid the hate, maybe someone has a good point. you have to wade through it from time to time. it can make you miserable — but it can also keep you humble.