odisse

No doubt you have heard this conversation before, or even taken part in it:

"I hate BYU."

"Careful, now.  'Hate' is a strong word..."

And usually the reminder that you're using strong words quiets your original statement.

But why?  Why should we be afraid to use a "strong word"?

And if 'hate' is so strong, why does nobody caution you against declaring your love for Utah State?

(really...nobody should ever question your love for Utah State.  The above statement is moot.)

University affiliations aside, the question remains:  Are we only allowed to use strong words for positive declarations?

Are the words that we use for positive declarations even perceived to be that strong?

Am I using too many rhetorical questions?

       Undoubtedly.  There really is an obscene amount going on here...

I'm frustrated by the loss of strength in words such as 'love', 'friends' and 'bacon'.  Most people have already been exposed to the weakness of the word 'love' (and if you haven't, you can read this post to enlighten you further).  Part of its weakness comes from the fact that there are so many different variations of love that its meaning gets diffused across all those meanings.  "I love you as a friend."  "I love you as a brother."  "I love you more than I love bacon."  "I level-three love you."  So you have to supplement your declaration of love with an explanation as to what you mean so there aren't any misconceptions that lead to awkward dates, incestuous thoughts, or accidentally leading people on.

I've spent long hours explaining love.  (often through a letter...I find those much easier to manage)  It would have been so much more economical to just say, "I love you."

If the words "I love you" were beautiful enough to suffice, I'd have done so.  But I found it necessary to dissect it and bare the entrails.

As for 'friend'.  There are facebook friends, old friends, study friends, soccer friends, childhood friends, best friends, former best friends, roommates, people you met five minutes ago...

And with so many meanings, the word 'friend' has fallen to the same disease as the word 'love'.  I'm somewhat disgruntled to find that my favorite people and truest friends are put under the same inadequate label as people whom I met once at a party three months ago and have texted thrice since.

But words like 'hate' and 'enemy'.  You need no explanation like "I hate you as a villain."  "I hate you more than I hate celery."  "You just leveled up in my hatred for you."  You can tell someone "I hate it when all the Boston Baked Beans are gone", and they immediately understand the level of pain and spite you're experiencing.  

And yes, there are different intensities of hatred, but 'hate' has still maintained its status as a "strong word".  Is it just not as diluted as 'love' is?

Unfortunately I don't think I have much power here to change everybody's usage of words like 'hate' and 'love'...I suppose I'm mostly just complaining about the world and wondering why it doesn't operate on my terms.  Rude.

But in all seriousness, just be straightforward with your words.  And please only love as much as you hate.