I don’t know about the rest of you, but lately 75% of everything I see on social media is about hate. Hate of something, someone, or some random shite. And it’s coming from damn near everyone, on every side of any issue you can name.
I have to put in a certain amount of social media activity every day because my accounts are part of my online presence, so I get very frustrated and even upset by this some days. I was frustrated by it this evening, especially after I ran across a clickbaity post about some musician or other saying she hates America and the people who live here. I didn’t click through, because chances are I probably don’t know who she is anyway, but I did open up the comments to see if anyone else had taken one for the team and reported back with a synopsis. Didn’t see one, but there was the usual waterfall of anger, obligatory statement about leaving if you don’t like it, hate, virtue signaling, obligatory accusation of privilege, name-calling, more anger and hate…and then, like a bright little ray of sanity breaking through the gray sheets of falling comments, this:
“She has the right to express her opinion. She also has a right to leave, or stay, as she wishes. Of course, I have the right to not concern myself with her opinion. People who are full of hate are a waste of time. You won’t change their mind and anything you say just starts another argument.” – M.H.
I don’t personally know the man who said this, but if I did I’d have already hugged him and maybe made him cookies. Since that’s not possible, I thought I’d share his comment with all of you. Because the constant focus on hate – regardless of which side it’s coming from – is bringing all of us down, not just me. It’s not making anything better. And it’s not helping anyone except the people who get off on that, the people who stay angry all the time because being angry and spewing that around makes them feel good. Them, not the rest of us.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t care. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be informed, or be involved, or be passionate or even argue. I’m just saying: You don’t have to let someone else’s spewed opinion bring you down. You don’t have to let it waste your time. And if you do choose to let it…well, that’s your choice. Just make sure it’s the one you meant to make.