2013 – 5th Grade National 4th Place Winner

Sophia Zhang, New York.

Which is more powerful, love or hate?

The Unity of All

"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it." - Martin Luther King. Although hate and love are contrasting objects, love is so much more powerful because it gives new challenges, new insights, and so much more. It provides something that hate will never overpower, or even come dose to. Love is unity, whereas hate is separation. Love's power is seen in Shakespeare's characters Romeo and Juliet, who gave up their lives. Lao Tzu, a moral philosopher, revealed how love was important to human society and humanity. Love is more powerful than hate because it creates strength, constructs, and unites in a positive way.

"Romeo and Juliet" written by William Shakespeare demonstrates how
powerful love can be, even when two people are being kept apart. In the play, Romeo and Juliet are from rival families; Romeo is a Capulet and Juliet is a Montague. After meeting, they become immediately inseparable. When the two families forbid their love, they end up dying to protect it. Both families were so distraught that they made peace between the two families. Love overcame hate in slight steps that had to be put together. First, when Romeo and Juliet fell in love, it shows that love overpowers rivalry. Then, when they took great risks to see each other, it showed that love was worth the risk. Their tragic death showed that love is worth more than life. In the end, Romeo and Juliet ended the family feud that lasted hundreds of years, vanishing hatred for many years to come. The series of events in the play shows that love is the motive for strength, and that it can always expand.

Lao Tzu once said, "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Lao Tzu was one of the most versatile and well-known philosophers of his time. He founded Taoism, a philosophical and religious group, and led many great philosophers to follow his methods. He believed that humans have to be humble and live in a life of love and harmony. This set an example for others to follow their path in love and harmony. His customs also stated that we should do no more than asked of, for that might lead to misunderstandings that will cause hate in its wake. His teachings proved that any form of love would always be more powerful than any form of hate by overcoming it in a way that will secure it for an extensive time.

It can be debated that love is more powerful than hate. Most people would suggest that hate is more powerful because it kills millions in war and terrorism. One example is World War II. Hitler was cut off from love and peace, and this led him to generate hate in Germany for Jews. All this war, damage, and cost of lives were all caused by a shortage of love. Sure, hate will come back, again and again, but it was caused by a loss of love. Love will always be vital to continue the human race. Love expands, creates, and gives new challenges. Without it, we would be in a state framed by the doctrine terra nullius, land belonging to no one, or in a State of Nature. Love has something that hate can never provide, or even come close to. Hate can't go on forever, but love can. Love is positive, whereas hate is negative. Just as we want our future to live in a better community than us, we want their community to be filled with passion, commitment, and affection, a moral society. We will always care for the future, and love will continue to overpower hate.

Love is more powerful than hate because it forms and builds. Love gives strength, where hate destructs. Romeo and Juliet surrendered their lives for each other, and for their families' sake. Lao Tzu stressed the power of love when one connects and bonds to another, while love, combined with power, was required to retain the world as a substantial place to live. There was never a hatred that persisted forever, but there were many love ties that did. There was never love that was overcome by hate, but there was hate overcome by love. "Hatred is never ended by hatred but love." -Buddha

 

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