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I’ve noticed an oddity among a select few people I know on Facebook.
Yes, they’re supposed to be called “friends,” because they’re on my friends list, but they’re really acquaintances. People I interact with on occasion, but we don’t hang out, discuss our families, or interact like friends do.
That’s not the point; this isn’t a knock on Facebook.
FB is supposed to bring people together, which it does. I enjoy FB for the many people on there I do interact with and consider friends, including those I’ve never met face-to-face.
I’m talking about a minority of people on my list, people who only pop up when it’s time to disagree with something; when they have something to whine about.
(Full disclosure: I’m not innocent of being negative on FB; I can be shitty, too. But it’s not my autopilot; I try my best–and truth be told, I probably fail–to be consistent. I comment on many posts, and mostly ignore ones I don’t like or disagree with.)
I’ve discovered that I can post 100 pictures of cute animals—which I do, because come on: cute animals—fifty blogs regarding my hopes, dreams, and fears, and 1,000 pictures of my kids—who are, and I’m admittedly biased here, Goddamned adorable—and hear nothing from the negative people.
But the instant I post something they don’t like, be it political, personal, or something as light as a joke, they pop up out of seemingly nowhere with snarky, challenging, dismissive and derisive comments.
I once reaped the indignation of a sanctimommy; she took offense to a joke I had posted.
Her indignation levels high, she made sure to point out how superior to me she was, specifically because she didn’t like the joke.
Unfortunately for her, her singular and forceful opinion didn’t rest well with many. In fact, when the majority of easy-going Facebook users told her to lighten up and get off her high horse, she became defensive. She then tried to act the victim, as if people were searching her out, and not that she had shown up unwarranted and acted improperly.
It was an odd event to watch: someone who had gone out of their way to be negative, acting wounded when the attitude backfired.
Which is another pattern among the most negative people on social media: they also tend to be the most closed minded. They believe what they want to believe, and that’s that. Their world, their bubble, is everything to them. They can be Republicans, Democrats, religious, fans of Heavy Metal or fans of Kanye West… anyone who wants to adhere to a limited point of view tends to lambast others for thinking differently.
I watched one thread where 98% of the people commenting used links and facts to back up their beliefs, while a select few stood their opposing-point-of-view ground because of how they felt about the subject.
The thread carried on for over 100 posts.
When presented with links to articles and facts, one of the close-minded people wrote: “I don’t have time to read those things.”
Yes, “no time” to read opposing points of view, this despite the fact they’d just spent two hours arguing on Facebook.
When arguing belief, they’ve all the time in the world. When presented with something outside their comfort zone, that’s when they’re suddenly unable to click links or read something that conflicts with their idea.
The simple truth is: nobody likes being disagreed with.
I know I don’t. It makes me grumpy.
But I know for a fact I’m not the end-all-be-all in the universe. So, sometimes I shut up and listen. Or, even better, I don’t start a fight in the first place.
There’s actually nothing easier than not plopping down a comment on someone else’s social media account if you don’t have something nice, relevant, or informative to say.
Because when all you have time for is the sound of your own voice?
Then you’re not of interest to anyone.
Enjoy my nonsense? Give my Amazon Author Page a gander and pick something up.
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