Hatred

The other day, I heard someone say, "I hate him!"

This got me to thinking about the nature of hatred. I can't really comprehend the idea of "hate" and I think that may be because I've never experienced it. I've disliked people, to be sure, and I can honestly say that I hate mushrooms (hate them!), but I've never truly hated a person.

I'm reminded of a line from a painfully cheesy movie that goes something like, "I didn't know what love was until I met you." Do you think that's the way hatred works, too? That you can't understand the idea until you experience the feeling? This may be why many people are confused by "hate crimes" and terrorism. Because probably most people do not experience the feeling of hate.

I really have no clue. Anyone have any thoughts?