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8 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURES

Similarly, if your enemy, the one angle to a bad situation, that alone simply destroying us, both in the
you hate, were to sincerely beg your is often not enough. You still need to immediate term and in the long
forgiveness and continue to show reinforce that idea. So you may need term. EH
you kindness, it’s unlikely that you to remind yourself of that positive
would continue to perceive them as angle many times, until gradually The Art of Happiness: A Handbook
100 percent bad. So, even though your feeling changes. for Living
when you are angry at someone
you might feel that the person has Generally speaking, once you’re
no positive qualities, the reality already in a difficult situation, it isn’t
is that nobody is 100 percent possible to change your attitude
bad. They must have some good simply by adopting a particular
qualities if you search hard enough. thought once or twice. Rather it’s
So, the tendency to see someone as through a process of learning,
completely negative is due to your training, and getting used to new
own perception based on your own viewpoints that enables you to deal
mental projection, rather than the with the difficulty.
true nature of that individual.
...hatred is compared to an enemy.
In the same way, a situation that This internal enemy, this inner
you initially perceive as 100 percent enemy, has no other function
negative may have some positive than causing us harm. It is our
aspects to it. But I think that even true enemy, our ultimate enemy.
if you have discovered a positive It has no other function than

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