LVII: VALENTINE

It was Valentine’s Day yesterday. The world, especially the young world, was in the celebrative mode. When love is in the air, we become tender and kinder. We share and care. A sense of SOLICITUDE envelopes us. SOLICITUDE is the feeling of CONCERN for others. When we do not care for the feelings of others, we become insensitive. We are then UNCORNCERNED. The following words are the SYNONYMS of UNCONCERN: NONCHALANCE APATHY INDIFFERENCE The three words allude to a LACK OF CONCERN for others, i.e, a LACK OF SOLICITUDE. Hence, INDIFFERENCE can be the ANTONYM of SOLICITUDE. SOLICITUDE x INDIFFERNCE If we are INDIFFERENT, we can be called CALLOUS, UNFEELING in the heart. The following words are the SYNONMS of CALLOUS: UNCONCERNED INDIFFERENT APATHETIC NONCHALANT If we have care and concern for others, we can be called SOLICITOUS. When we are SOLICITOUS, we are full of concern, just as when we are BALEFUL, we are full of evil. Hence, SOLICITOUS: CONCERN BALEFUL: MENACE (evil) If one is BALEFUL, one is full of EVIL. Such a one is WICKED. We can now look at a few words which mean EVIL and WICKED: EVIL VILE VICIOUS MENACING MINATORY MALIGN MALIGNANT MALICIOUS MALEVOLENT BALEFUL BANEFUL OMINOUS PORTENTUOUS SINISTER Words with the prefix MAL generally indicate something evil, just as the prefix BENE indicates something good. Hence MALIGN (evil) x BENIGN (kindly) MALEVOLENT (having evil intentions) x BENEVOLENT (having good intentions) MALEFACTOR (evil-doer) x BENEFACTOR (do-gooder) MALEDICTION (curse) x BENEDICTION (blessing) To be alive in a world of love is really a benediction.