I see more anger in the world today than at any other point in my life.
Pretty much every major news story sparks immediate and intense outrage from someone. I think a lot of the outrage is well deserved in a lot of cases. Just because the anger is justified doesn’t mean that it is presented well.
I believe that everyone has the right to voice their own opinion. It doesn’t matter if I or anyone else agrees with it, everyone still has the right. That being said, the sheer amount of ignorant, disrespectful, hateful, and terribly presented social media posts that I see has reached dizzying heights.
Let me be clear, I am not speaking of any group, idea, or event in particular. I’m saying that all arguments coming in from all sides share a good percentage of these types of posts. We have all seen them. Some big news story drops and the opposing sides instantly take to social media and scream creative new obscenities, along with poorly researched “facts” at each other until the next story drops. Rinse. Repeat.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but these types of posts do absolutely nothing, except for getting a rise out of people. Nobody is changing their minds about something they believe in because they read someone else’s poorly written, profanity-laden rant. It doesn’t advance any cause. It doesn’t change anything.
If we want to change someone’s mind, taking the time to present a well-thought-out idea is the way to go, in my opinion. Perhaps, take that half-baked idea we were gonna throw into a social media post, actually take the time to do the research and to make sure that your idea is properly cultivated, and publish it. Even if it’s an article that reaches 100 people, that’s still more than the average person’s social media post interactions. Legitimacy and professionalism add so much to our credibility. And with higher credibility, comes more weight to our words.
Or take it a step further. Maybe join a group of like-minded people and pool your resources and ideas. Use people’s individual talents for the cause. Maybe produce a short video, organize some sort of gathering or charity. The possibilities for presenting your ideas or working for a greater cause are endless. And as such, I think it’s a crime to dumb down all of our ideas into bullsh*t Facebook posts.
For those who don’t feel the need to take their opinions to that level, just an increase in some kind of mindfulness in our posts can go for miles. Maybe if we waited an hour or two after we get some kind of news that angers us before we run to Facebook to scream about it, our ideas will be presented better. Or, maybe we will decide that we don’t need to make that post with Biden’s face poorly photoshopped onto any number of ridiculous bodies after all. An important thing I’ve learned on my way through life: sometimes the right thing to say, is to say nothing at all.
Is there any guarantee that our words will change anything? Of course, not. But speaking for myself, I would be much more inclined to listen to a well-thought-out presentation, than a poorly written, knee-jerk reaction post on Facebook. When used properly, words have the power to change the world. Maybe it’s time that we treated them as such.
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