Within this hostile climate of a fractured, and struggling America, there seems to be a very nasty trend that supposed adults engage in. And because of Facebook, Blogs, cyber news articles, and other social media, people can hide. They hide behind a keyboard, or cell phone linked to the internet, or some anonymous name, or alter ego that they wish to use to convey some tirade. What they do when hiding behind these objects is personally attack people who they disagree with. As I've said in the past, there is nothing wrong with civil discourse, but some people take things far beyond discourse, and into the realm of name calling, and personal perceptions that are completely unnecessary. I see it all of the time, and am the occasional brunt of someone who disagrees with me, yet chooses to not mention the subject at hand, but instead throws some personal jab at my character, or creates a preconceived notion about who I am based upon my opinion about a particular subject. All the while frothing at the mouth behind a computer, and some seething notion that I must be addressed, and personally thwarted for possibly even having an opinion.
This is the cyber playground mentality, where the bullies when confronted with something that they disagree with instead of conversing would rather just say, "Oh yeah? Well you're stupid" In this cyber world of discussion, I constantly stick my neck out to something I disagree on, and get it chopped off not by someone who would like to just converse in a nice manner to discuss subjects, but by two types of folks: A)Holders of all knowledge proclaiming self righteousness, who could never acknowledge that they might possibly be wrong in a million years, and B)Blowhards whose contributions to discussions are to name call, insinuate aspects of my character that they perceive to know, (or anyone else they disagree with for that matter,) and cyber yell putting exclamation points in front of statements condemning my contribution to the subject, while of course proclaiming themselves as people in group A.
Of course there are great folks whom I disagree with, but enjoy heartily their opinions and discussing things with them because they are adults, and can hold discussions in discourse without flying off the handle, or deep end. Some of those very folks I am proud to say follow my Blog here, and I would like to give them a nice salute.
The problem that these folks create, (meaning the ones who call names, attack personally, and can't hold discussions) is that they make it hard for everyone that would like to work things out and discuss things. If I jump in a discussion, even if I think someone is an asshole, I won't address that person as such. I like to state my opinion of the topic, and wait for a response which will hopefully be passionate, but full of information, on the topic..Not a change in the subject, and an insinuated question of my intelligence or manhood. Too many people engage in this type of rhetoric which for me brings the whole operation to a shut down. I have and will continue to state to folks that I am done with the conversation, and I leave the frothing up to them. As in the regular life of disagreements, there needs to be someone who says, "I'm stepping back." That doesn't mean that there is a weakness in this maneuver. It just means that it's really not worth indulging someone who is too far gone to just see someone as an individual with a different opinion. So what is the point of continuing?
I personally cannot deal with know it all mentalities, and addressing someone that I don't know in some negative fashion. If someone wishes to differ with me, I am all for it, because we all need to be challenged in our thinking, and get other perspectives from other sides. But if one wants to just spew crap without thinking, be a blowhard who doesn't stick to the subject, or piss all over my character that they don't know, I am out of there. And computers enable all of this type of behavior because there is a buffer zone of confidence that people use to shriek at, condemn, point fingers at, and verbally jab folks in writing, that would not be acceptable in public real life.
I have moments of wanting to jump through the computer, trust me I am no saint. But I do understand that this is an America of people on edge, and I choose my words carefully so that folks are respected even if I disagree with them. I have been the butt too many times of people who do not know me, yet have something negative to say about me, And I have seen others get chewed to shreds and called every name in the book by someone they have never met. I have no use for those people who do that in real life or cyber. If you know me and think I'm an ass then that's cool. I care not to be liked by everyone..That would mean that I'm a panderer and I have no desire to be that. If some people don't like you then you are doing something right. There are people that I don't like. There are ideas that I like less, and there are people who I think have really shitty ideas, and perceptions. But that doesn't give me an excuse to call them names, nor does it give me an excuse to froth at the mouth against them. It does give me an option to either state my opinion, or leave them alone.
This holds true especially if I don't know someone personally. There is no reason to be hostile towards them, or insinuate things about their character..I have no idea what someone's life is about, and what they have gone through, nor do they know that about me. With computers I believe that the art of conversation which includes disagreeing, has taken a huge plummet downward and will continue to get worse as the country's climate gets worse. There are too many ways, and too easy to say "I don't like you because of your idea" now, and there is no stopping the folks who don't know how to interact with others from jumping on and stirring up trouble because they can't deal with an adult conversation in person. The character that I've named "Frothy The Lowman" can be men or women who take discourse to its lowest level of playground name calling and spitting. They can't deal with regular communication, and decide to let their personal pride in what they believe, run their imagination, elevating them above everyone else, which enables them to feel confident enough to berate, and treat others with disrespect.
Those who engage in passionate adult disagreements without name calling, and personal attacks..I raise a glass to you. Those who wish to take discourse to a new low..I will not engage you, and I hope that others follow suit. Because when there is no one to play with them in the sandbox, they will take their bucket and go home, hopefully for a long time. Always remember this folks....Disagreements are a part of life....Arguments don't have to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment