A Balanced Manifesto of Hate

I think hate is underrated or misused. Usually, hate points in the direction of clues about what a person fears becoming or what they want to possess or become. In that sense, it serves as a good map of human behavior. The more someone hates, the more fear presents itself. The more we understand our motivations and behaviors, the better we are able to control and overrule them.

But lately, when we hate, we don’t hold a mirror to it to examine why it’s happening. Instead, we just blindly hate—or worse, we forbid hate, treating it like something we shouldn’t feel. Yet, in this world, we can all admit that every emotion serves a purpose, as long as it’s felt in balance. Repressing emotions is probably why you’re reading this right now, nodding along, or feeling some inflammation in your throat, ready to burst into anger, tears, or laughter. Or maybe you just feel bored or nothing at all, craving a distraction.

Bear with me—this list of things I hate is created to better understand myself. It might also give you some ideas about who you are. When you put something on paper, most of the time you strip it of its power. So, let’s cure ourselves in a balanced manner.

This list isn’t final. It can change and evolve as I wish. If there’s something new to hate, I’ll add it here. If something is no longer worth hating, I’ll add it to a list at the end of things I don’t hate anymore. Behold the Balanced Manifesto of Hate:

To stay authentic, I have to start with the idea that inspired this list:

YouTubers who hold small microphones

I fucking hate this trend. Most of the hate comes from seeing through this bullshit. They’re all copy-pasting each other, thinking it looks cool or that it will make them more successful. They buy these small microphones and hold them like tiny tea glasses. The sheer pretentiousness makes my atoms squeeze painfully in my abdomen. If I see someone holding a microphone like that, I’m not watching.

Okay, maybe it suits you. Maybe it makes you feel more important, stable, or creative. But for me, it’s unbearable. Speaking of microphones...

Comedians who move the microphone stand behind them when they get on stage

This isn’t a second-place ranking—this isn’t a Billboard Top 100. At some point, I might invent a system for ranking these things, but for now, know this: I hate most things here on the same level.

A long time ago, I heard a comedian—maybe Bill Burr or Dave Chappelle—say that moving the microphone stand behind you when you go on stage is a trick to gain the audience’s respect. Ever since, the second I see someone pull this shit, they lose all my respect. Most of the time, I turn off the performance or switch to something else.

I don’t know if it’s just the curse of looking behind the curtain and seeing how the sausage is made, but it breeds resentment and disrespect in me every time, but let's go back to...

YouTube reaction channels with shocked faces in every thumbnail

Those bastards. You have to be a special kind of person to make a thumbnail with your shocked face for every single video. Trying to convince me that what you just watched is OMG amazing strips the content of its fun.

Don’t get me wrong—I watch those bastards. Sometimes I like connecting with them. But reacting in front of a camera adds an extra layer of assholery to normal behavior. Some days, it’s repulsive. Other days, it’s tolerable.

That said, some channels bring comedic or informative value to their reactions. Channels like Struggle Nation, The Reel Rejects, or Grace Randolph from Beyond the Trailer add depth because of their knowledge of the topics, which allows them to be funny. Then there’s Ajay Deluxe, who has a comedic presence that makes the reaction more entertaining. But most of you and your thumbnails can suck it.

Musicians Who Disrespect Their Own Legacy & Fans

One thing I discovered I hate passionately is musicians who don’t play their biggest hit. I actually don’t care if it’s because they want to move on from it and show the public they have other music, or for some other reason.

This week, I went to a concert of an artist who has one really, really big song. A song that changed my life, shaped it, moved it, and will probably be part of my life’s soundtrack for the rest of my life—although, after Friday, that song’s position could be in danger. I’ve heard some of his other songs, and to be fair, they didn’t stick the landing like the one I was hoping to hear.

To be honest, the whole concert was surprisingly incredible—the artist’s voice was amazing, the band was on point—but as the end approached, I got scared he might do it, which prevented me from enjoying the last 5 songs the way I should have. The band disappeared, and the whole crowd started to scream and applaud to bring them back, which is another thing I hate (but that’s for another time). Some people in the audience even screamed the name of the song that brought us there.

The band came back and performed two more songs, giving the biggest “fuck you” to the audience by not performing the song we all came for. For most people, I assume it was that song that brought us there—I’m pretty sure it was.

I was ready to buy the vinyls right there at the merch stand, sealing a beautiful memory, to become an even bigger fan because the fucking concert was incredible. And then this motherfucker decided to dismiss his biggest hit and the audience's wishes, and disappear. To be able to say “fuck you” so loudly with such a creative approach was brave, I’ll give them that. But from now on, this idiot bastard doesn’t exist to me. I’m not even mentioning his name. Usually, I review concerts and music, and this son of a bitch had good reviews coming his way. 

Now, he can rot for all I care. 

Wow, that was harsh even for me, but yeah, I think this idiot killed the magic and removed me from the fandom with one decision. What else removes me?

People who don’t give a seat to elders

Respect Isn’t on the Train Schedule. Boy, this is unbelievable—and it’s unbelievable how common it is in Germany. The other day, coming back from that shit concert, the train was full. A visibly pained grandma, who had just made space for her husband in a wheelchair spot, was hardcore ignored by this  girl burying herself in a book, and a couple of crackers who spent the whole trip kissing and smooching. Right next to us was a lady with her daughter, who saw me getting angry and decided to give up her seat a minute before her station.

The girl hiding behind her book to avoid standing for an elder in pain can suck it. And the couple? So disrespectful that the trashy girl even propped her feet up on the train wall. What’s happening in Germany that so many little shitheads are blind to the existence of others? A basic upbringing teaches you to respect elders and try to make their lives a little easier.

When I realized the woman with the child was about to get up, I asked the grandma to take her seat as soon as it became free. She thanked me with one word, but in that word was the tension of an hour standing, finally relieved. It sounded like a cry that was finally answered. Germany, you have to do better.

The Rush of Idiocy: People who push to get inside the train while others are still exiting

It seems like common sense to let people out first, giving them space so it can all move faster. But no. Here in Germany, two directions clash head-on every time I take a train or U-Bahn. Why is it so hard to understand that letting others out first will actually get you inside faster?

It’s about more than speed, though—it’s about acknowledging that the person in front of you isn’t just an obstacle in your way. And it’s not just kids, and it’s not just Germans. But come on, grown-ups—grow up. It won’t kill you to stand for 15 minutes. Suck it up and show some civility.

This country should have produced way more Joker-like figures than it actually has.

Comment Section Clowns: People who leave annoying, repetitive comments on YouTube

How many international fans are here? Or my personal favorite to hate: I’ll watch this video for every like I get. Can you imagine this nonsense coming from so-called fans? Absolutely gay. And I usually hate homophobic gays, but these bastards? Posting the same comment under every video? They’ve become a new way to spark my diarrhea.

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This list isn’t complete—it’s a living, evolving document. I’ll keep adding to it as new things earn my disdain, and I’ll also include the things I’ve learned to let go of.

What about you? What are the things you hate that give you clues about yourself? Share your own list—maybe we’ll all find a little more balance by confronting what annoys us most.

Iliya Badev