William Hazlitt's 'On The Pleasure Of Hating'

Life’s Only Option Simply put, there are two approaches to life: enjoy every moment alive or dread every breathing instant. The expectations are to follow the former outlook on life, but the latter approach is practiced by more. In “On the Pleasure of Hating”, William Hazlitt provides solid arguments justifying hatred. He explores how this hatred instigates, expands, and inevitably overpowers the forces of love.
Socialization is a necessity for sanity in life. Losing friends, initiates a hatred in life, but keeping one in close proximity at all times may be undesirable. Hazlitt writes how friends are unlike books which can “lay upon the shelf; but as our friends are not willing to be laid there, this produces a misunderstanding and ill-blood

With eyes newly opened one comes to the realization of the conceptual disgusts of life. On page 192, Hazlitt personifies behaviors of people saying, “In private life do we not see hypocrisy, servility, selfishness, folly, and impudence succeed, while modesty shrinks from the encounter.” By using personification, Hazlitt calls attention to the behaviors instead of the people committing the behaviors. This intensifies one’s understanding of the injustices of the world along with the understanding of Hazlitt’s hatred. He continues this metaphor to say, “and merit is trodden under foot?” (192). His diction and imagery empower the phrase; his use of “trodden” illustrates the extent to which merit, something imperative, is disregarded. Additionally, Hazlitt uses irony to show the negative aspects of life on this world writing, “England, that arch-reformer, that heroic deliverer, that mouther about liberty, and tool of power, stands gaping by” during the Spanish Inquisition (192). His inclusion of England’s supposed principles progressed the argument against England’s lack of involvement in the Spanish inquisition. England’s hypocrisy further provides reason for hatred of the