“Love’s gonna get you killed but pride’s gonna be the death of you and you and me.” – Kendrick Lamar “PRIDE”
Do we really know love? As a society that talks about inclusivity and harmony so openly and focuses on various activities or lack thereof to attain full peace and love, do we actually understand love? Does it ever cross our minds that in today’s society, true love may get you killed? Maybe not in a physical sense but certainly on the inside.
For the last couple of months, I’ve been heavily inspired by Cole Cuchna and Femi Olutade’s analysis of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN on Dissect. Lamar’s statement is intimidating but rings very true.
It is easy to love those that love us. It is easy to love those that agree with us. But what about the ones whose perspective is unacceptable to us? It doesn’t even have to be that serious. Are we able to love those that just rub us the wrong way? Do we choose love there? Do we choose to love these people when they’re not in the room? Lift them up and support them?
This is when love kills us. It kills the satisfaction of feeling right. True love kills the need to one up someone and gives unconditionally. True love says “You don’t owe me anything. I accept you the way you are.” Love keeps no record of wrong, and he who has been forgiven much, loves much. Pride is unable to love because pride doesn’t recognize one’s own shortcomings and thus cannot accept those of others.
So what do we choose? If we are real with ourselves are we really seeking and giving love or is even our love rooted in pride?
Choose love and die on the inside or choose pride and stay you, but that may mean the death of “you and me” together.
x Karina