Loving what you used to hate

Have you ever caught your present-self loving something your past-self swore they hated with the intensity of a thousand suns?

Could be a wacky activity, absurd idea, bizarre group of people, smelly foreign country, or whatever.

I can picture you nodding your head in agreement with me. Of course you have. We all have. Even if you didn’t realize it.

So what does this help us predict about our future-selves?

People like to say you should always trust your gut as gospel. Which has the unintended consequence of falling into the taking-your-first-impressions-so-god-damn-seriously trap.

But the more I think about it the less I agree.

As my silly little examples below will show, there’s always a chance you could end up on the opposite end of the love-hate spectrum.

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Coffee

For the first twenty-three years of my life, I hated coffee more than those gut wrenching ice breakers at a networking event.

I couldn’t wrap my head around why my parents religiously gulped down a mug full of piping hot bean water on the daily.

The mere stench of the stuff made me flee in horror.

I figured they just had a few screws loose until I witnessed hundreds of their zombie-like peers standing in the Starbucks line alongside them waiting for their fix.

I was perplexed.

Until I started my first big boy corporate job. After a few days, I found myself at a competitive disadvantage trying to survive this strange new world sober.

Fast forward to today and I now consider coffee to be the nectar of the gods.

Reading

For the first twenty-two years of my life, I hated reading more than my german shepherd hates squirrels.

I couldn’t fathom why anyone in their right mind would ever buy a book, much less read it.

Had these fools never heard of TV? Movies? The internet? Or video games?

Notice I didn’t say I hated books themselves. One of my fondest childhood memories is snuggling up next to my mom in bed each night listening to her read the entire Harry Potter series to me. This went on long past the age that any mother should be expected to do such things. Sorry mom.

You know how many mammoths still roam the earth? That’s how many books I’d read by the time I graduated college.

Until the light bulb went off. When I realized I would never be forced to read Shakespeare or Dickens again.

Fast forward to today and I now consider reading to be the sole reason I’m not a complete idiot.

Germans

For the first twenty-five years of my life, I hated Germans more than sumo wrestlers hate skipping a meal.

As an American, I blindly accepted the propaganda (in the form of movies, history classes, and video games) that had implanted the idea seed in my head that all Germans were monsters who had supported, or least not stopped, the most evil civilization in recent memory.

Until I realized I’d never met any Germans. So I booked a trip to Berlin to go find out for myself.

I was shocked to not find a single swastika flag, Hitler statue, or evil monster.

In fact, every German I met turned out to be some of the kindest and most open-minded folks I’ve come across.

Fast forward to today and instead of the German language sending shivers down my spine, I feel drawn to them.

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Of course it goes both ways.

There are plenty of things your past-self loved that your present-self now hates.

It’s funny to reflect on how wrong my gut and first impressions have repeatedly turned out to be.

The stronger your hatred for something is today, the stronger your love for that same thing could be tomorrow. Or vice versa.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s the vital importance to withhold judgment about something before you have adequate exposure, direct experience, and loads of time.

Resist the urge to trust your gut and first impressions.

Because you may find yourself loving what you used to hate or hating what you used to love.

Your thoughts? Comments? Complaints? Please leave a reply below.