King described love here as a demanding choice, not a soft feeling. Hate can make itself feel justified when we have been hurt, but carrying it asks something from us too. It keeps the injury active inside the person who is holding it. Choosing not to carry that burden does not require pretending harm did not happen or removing necessary boundaries. It can simply mean refusing to let another person’s actions decide the kind of person we become. What would it mean to protect your own humanity in a difficult relationship?