At the heart of 

prejudice, condescension, and rage

lies fear. 

And mind-numbing ignorance. The strutting bully, the cantankerous bigot, and the belittling snob may all appear to be confident and strong, but the reality is very different. Under their blustering and seeming conviction lies fear.

For some, it is the fear that they will lose their tentative hold on what already seems to be slipping away. For others, fear that the day of absolute loss is very near.

Under all that aggressive demeanor and the self-righteous attitude lies ignorance. Ignorance of how the person obtained the perks and profits he enjoys. Of how people ended up with just a little bit more than those they look down upon, those they feel threatened by.

Those whose hearts are strangled by such fear do not realize that the good things in their lives come from helping others in past lifetimes, not by being cleverer in the current one. They do not know that they’re laying the groundwork for deprivation and anguish in their own future.