In Love With Hate

The worst thing about a person is often the most compelling. Those with the most detestable traits are often the ones who receive the most attention, and loathing them can feel more fulfilling than doing anything that's actually productive. This is the toxic trait we all possess: that which repels us can also compel us to look on in horror. Our dismay becomes accidental entertainment. We attempt to understand behaviors we cannot resonate with, or we try to rationalize them, even hypothetically. The amount of time we spend discussing what we find disgusting can consume countless hours of our lives. For many, it becomes an unrecognized addiction. That which we cannot stand becomes our favorite show. Every person does this to some extent, and every fictional character will follow suit. Judgements will be cast. Alleged affronts will be categorized, and labels will be applied accordingly. The process is fun, habit forming, and practically impossible to quit altogether.

In this way, what is considered wrong will be elevated. It will be worshiped and obsessed over. It becomes far and above the most entertaining thing around, and what is considered just and right becomes mundane and inane by comparison. This is why the only thing people love more than an underdog is a villain they can hate so much that they fall in love.