Professional boxer Floyd Mayweather may be the most polarizing figure in the entertainment industry (I characterize sports as a part of entertainment). Mayweather elicits a dislike from the public that is extraordinary in its passion, and extraordinary as well in the way it reveals how overwhelmed by ego people tend to be.
Mayweather presents an exceptionally self-confident persona that could be, and is often, described as arrogant. It can be argued however that Mayweather is entitled to, and even obligated to, be self-confident given that he’s participating in an activity that could lead to him being injured, and even killed, at any given moment. As far as arrogance is concerned, as of this writing Mayweather is undefeated after forty-three professional bouts, a record that includes championships at various weight classes.
The expression ‘If you can do it, it ain’t bragging’ comes to mind.
Let’s put aside however whether Mayweather is justified or not in singing his own praises and consider the issue of why Mayweather is disliked to such an extent, and what this says about the human condition. Mayweather’s self-confident / arrogant persona is often cited as the reason for his unlikability. Judging the nature of comments made about Mayweather, racism plays a role as well in the criticism he takes (Mayweather is African American).
Though racism is the more repulsive response, responding negatively to Mayweather for perceived arrogance is also problematic. Why? Because it is a near certain indicator of strong ego influence. (Racism is, also, indicative of this).
Most people who dislike Mayweather do not personally know him. The majority of Mayweather’s critics then are casting dislike and judgment onto an image and a mental construct. These critics presume this imagery and mental construct represent who Mayweather “really” is, but this is no certainty. In any case Mayweather is like most everyone else: expressing positive and negative energies at any given time. Are his negative expressions more valid than his positive expressions are? And if so, why?
Dislike of Mayweather by people who do not personally know him represents an ego response, and the basis for this response is insecurity… and fear. To some degree or another Mayweather represents a threat to the present existence of his critics’ egos. If Mayweather is successful or in some way “right” then these various egos are diminished, and in danger of destruction. These egos exist in opposite to Mayweather — either he securely is, or they are.
Ask Mayweather’s critics about this analysis and they’ll deny it with enthusiasm. Mayweather is nothing to them; he is beneath their concern and is only worthy of their contempt. But consider how engaged their energies are as they speak of Mayweather; consider how they become angry at Mayweather’s mention; consider how they enthusiastically root for Mayweather to fail.
Even as they express how they despise Mayweather, he controls them. More accurately he controls their ego, which in turn controls them.
Do they really want to be held captive like this? Do you?
When we feel a strong dislike towards anyone — a public figure that is personally unknown to us certainly, but anyone in particular — know that this feeling is speaking to something about us much more so than the object of our dislike. Dislike, judgment, condemnation, hatred, these are all forms of ego imprisonment. When these expressions are in place we are captives of our ego, and in the process are cut off from our innate Divine presence, something that can bring us so much peace, so much joy, so much easier of a life experience — but only when we are free, not imprisoned but free, to experience it.
Consider these spiritual admonishments:
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
And —
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Consider Floyd Mayweather, or any other person or group that you feel dislike towards, to be your instructor, for they are teaching you that you are not, in fact, free… not free from your ego self, and not free to be at one with God.
