LEADERSHIP
5 Tips On How To Deal
With Your Haters
By Matshona Dhliwayo
T
hey are everywhere - envious
people, or haters as they have
now come to be called, have been
around since the beginning of time. Rich
or poor, learned or unlearned, saint or
sinner, we have all encountered them. One
of the very first crimes in the Bible was
rooted in envy; Cain maliciously killed his
younger brother Abel when the sacrifice
he offered to God was accepted and his
wasn’t.
Envy is the most extreme form of jealousy.
It comes about as a result of someone
feeling inferior or slighted because of what
you have or what you are. Haters believe
that you don’t deserve something or that
whatever you have is better than theirs.
Willing to put someone down to feel
good about themselves, envious people are
willing to lie, steal, kill, and even destroy
themselves to inflict misfortune on those
they begrudge.
It is the reason why Saul, an ancient king
of Israel, pursued David, a mere shepherd
boy, and it is also the very cause of why
Jesus, a prophet-sage, was crucified by the
religious elites of his time. Although he
had done nothing wrong, their envy of his
superior knowledge and wisdom led to his
arrest and subsequent death sentence.
One would think that we would have
learned our lesson by now, but as with
all things, times may change, but human
nature does not. As a result, there is not a
soul on the planet who does not need to
learn how to deal with haters. There are
many strategies, and below are the most
effective from my bank.
Ignore Them
Ignore their comments; remind yourself
that the loudest boos often come from the
No matter how far you distance yourself, some
haters will never leave you alone, come rain or
sunshine. Driven by envy, they can neither eat
nor sleep peacefully until they trouble you. The
best thing to do in this situation is to rise above
them. If you try to please your haters, you will
end up losing the most valuable thing you have
in your life: yourself!
84 MAL22/18 ISSUE
cheapest seats. It is your duty to keep doing
what you’re doing - excel. Your calling is
to achieve your highest potential, helping
others in the process. Don’t waste time
validating the feelings of someone who is
not comfortable in his or her own skin.
Distance Yourself from Them
If their negative comments persist even
after ignoring them, set boundaries. If
you keep hearing and meditating on
their hurtful remarks, you may find
yourself believing them. Change your
environment and associations to reduce
your interactions with them.
Confront Them
You only need to address them directly
when distancing yourself has failed. Be
open, but tactful. Let them know how
their actions make you feel. Being polite
prevents you from worsening an already
deteriorating situation.
Cut Them Off
When all else has failed, sever ties. Do
whatever you can to avoid them. If you
typically meet them on the way to work,
take a different path; if you take lunch at
the same time, try to switch schedules. If
they happen to join a discussion you are
part of, if you can, excuse yourself. If they
happen to engage you in any discussion,
politely end it. It’s a lot easier said than