Definition of a Hater

The word “hate” is associated with an intense feeling of dislike. It may occur in a wide variety of contexts—hatred of inanimate objects, hatred of oneself, or hatred of other people. But a “hater” is a person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. Hater’s might not even desire to be like the person he or she hates, but taking them down a notch, with a derogatory comment or two, somehow makes a hater feel better about themselves. Rather than being happy for the other person’s achievements, a hater makes a point of exposing another’s flaws.

Don't worry about your haters or why they hate you. It’s not your problem . . . it's theirs! Just pray for them, that their life can be fulfilled. Watch out for haters . . . but most of all—don't let yourself become a hater!

Maya Angelou, an American autobiographer and poet, has been called “America's most visible black female autobiographer.” She is a new kind of memoirist—one of the first African American women to publicly discuss her personal life. Maya Angelou has became highly recognized and respected as a spokesperson for women of all races. In discusing her road to success she said, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ~ Maya Angelou

Here is Maya Angelou’s famous poem depicting the definition of a “hater.” Let it be a reminder to us all to remember who we are—divine children of God, discovering our true purpose here on earth. Fulfill your dreams!

Hater
By Maya Angelou

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall. They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever good enough!

When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters . . . That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed.

It's dangerous to be like somebody else . . . If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them! Right? You never know what people have gone through to get what they have.

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story . . . If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too!

We've all got some haters among us! Some people envy you because you can:

Have a relationship with God.
Light up a room when you walk in.
Start your own business.
Tell a man/woman to hit the curb (if he or she isn't about doing the right thing).
Raise your children without both parents being in the home.

Haters can't stand to see you happy. Haters will never want to see you succeed. Haters never want you to get the victory . . . Most of our haters are people who are supposed to be on our side! How do you handle your undercover haters?

You can handle these haters by:

1. Knowing who you are and who your true friends are—VERY IMPORTANT!!
2. Having a purpose to your life. (Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.)
3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation. Fulfill your dreams!

You only have one life to live . . . when its your time to leave this earth, you ‘want’ to be able to say, “I've lived my life and fulfilled ‘my’ dreams . . . Now I'm ready to go HOME!”

When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters, “Don't look at me . . . Look at ‘Who’ is in charge of me!” ~ Maya Angelou

“When we know better, we do better.” ~ Maya Angelou