Liking and disliking can happen so quickly that we may feel we have no control over them. Somebody says something pleasant and we like them. Another person says something hurtful and we dislike them. It might be true that we can’t stop liking and disliking arising, but if we slow down a little we might notice that in fact we do have a choice; whether or not to follow the liking or disliking, whether or not to make a ‘me’ out of them. When awareness is well established, liking and disliking can be seen as movement taking place in a larger reality.
— Ajahn Munindo, Dhammapada Reflections