Why is it so hard to say i love you but so easy to say i hate you?

Person 1 says: "I hate you" separates you from others, leaving you with the illusion of being more in control, more independent, self-reliant, etc. It's like a caffeine high: cheap, quick, and not very thorough.

"I love you" connects you with others, leaving you open and vulnerable, but with the opportunity to experience and channel the power of love into life. The "open and vulnerable" part can be scary, and that's what makes it hard to say "I love you" -- you have to take down the protective walls of personal separateness, and there's a risk that others will hurt you without those walls.

But the high from love is much more thorough, long-lasting, and rich. So it boils down to courage: it takes courage to love, it takes no courage to hate.

Person 2 says: :Well, it's hard for me to say the words "I hate you" in any context other than as a funny response to something humorously taboo that someone did. It is very easy for me to say "I love you" to friends, my kids, my family, etc. Saying "I love you" romantically, is another story however. It's hard because you don't know if the person feels the same way and you don't want to feel rejected if they don't.

Person 3 says: For me... it's the opposite. It's so easy for me to say "I love you" and so hard for me to say "I hate you." 

Maybe some people find it harder to say "I love you" because they don't want their real feelings shown because they don't want to get rejected. If you say "I hate you" and mean it, there is not really the fear of rejection. Right?