And sometimes, it's your post that is wrong and the people commenting are pointing that out. It happens! If you have controversial opinions you have to accept that you're likely wrong a good portion of the time.
Many comments or positions can be viewed in a number of different ways. I like to think of a few and choose the most positive. Some fall into the trap of automatically selecting the most offensive.
This chip-on-the-shoulder attitude is especially pervasive in the world today. Social media can exacerbate that, but the biggest culprit is cable “news.” The old,somewhat boring, nightly news shows have been replaced over the years by emotionally charged political commentary. Those who watch get sucked into a pattern of mindlessly repeating whatever their favorite anchor says and attacking anyone who doesn’t automatically agree.
The anchors and politicians evade questions in the same slippery way you describe. They don’t debate a topic on it’s own merit; they ask for credentials, or do personal attacks, or jump to a different issue.
Hopefully this age of propaganda over critical thinking will eventually come to an end.
I think many controversial things (I am a diehard socialist at heart) but speak them rarely. Why? I guess I am indeed thin-skinned, but also fear pissing off my paying subscribers. I write an art-related column here, and readers like it that way. The one time I wrote a column dealing with a political issue, the reaction was hot. I do have another column I write, having nothing to do with art, so maybe I'll start speaking my mind there more freely. I think it's time.
“Some people want to be the main character. Every conversation is secretly about them. They’ll twist your story into theirs, correct you just to be visible, or frame your post as an attack on their identity. Classic narcissistic behavior, a lot of that going around. Almost never worth debating, although potentially very amusing material for memes from them.” So well said. I wrote about this here: https://www.whitenoise.email/p/we-all-have-main-character-syndrome
If you don’t have people telling you that you’re an idiot, or that you’re wrong, or that you’re woke, or whatever … you ain’t doing it right.
hah this is a fair point too
And sometimes, it's your post that is wrong and the people commenting are pointing that out. It happens! If you have controversial opinions you have to accept that you're likely wrong a good portion of the time.
Many comments or positions can be viewed in a number of different ways. I like to think of a few and choose the most positive. Some fall into the trap of automatically selecting the most offensive.
This chip-on-the-shoulder attitude is especially pervasive in the world today. Social media can exacerbate that, but the biggest culprit is cable “news.” The old,somewhat boring, nightly news shows have been replaced over the years by emotionally charged political commentary. Those who watch get sucked into a pattern of mindlessly repeating whatever their favorite anchor says and attacking anyone who doesn’t automatically agree.
The anchors and politicians evade questions in the same slippery way you describe. They don’t debate a topic on it’s own merit; they ask for credentials, or do personal attacks, or jump to a different issue.
Hopefully this age of propaganda over critical thinking will eventually come to an end.
Great article. Puts a lot of discourse in perspective.
I think many controversial things (I am a diehard socialist at heart) but speak them rarely. Why? I guess I am indeed thin-skinned, but also fear pissing off my paying subscribers. I write an art-related column here, and readers like it that way. The one time I wrote a column dealing with a political issue, the reaction was hot. I do have another column I write, having nothing to do with art, so maybe I'll start speaking my mind there more freely. I think it's time.
I read the email and was ready to torch a bitch for thin/skin typo but damnit, corrected in the live version. 🐸
*returns to cave*
Thanks I was corrected already, appreciate the proofreading
Maybe my favourite early internet comment… “First”
Like people used to just claim first with nothing else to add. It is perfect actually.
So many good phrases to use as comments on other blogs here ;)
feel free to copy paste any you like
So very true!
A great Emile Friant picture to go with a nice post
I agree with all of this. That having been said, comments on my post are now only available to pay subscribers as I just got tired of the abuse.
Oddly, writing about France, really riles people up !
Yeah no problems with changing comment settings at all, I totally get it - always run your publication how you want
This reads do true.
“Some people want to be the main character. Every conversation is secretly about them. They’ll twist your story into theirs, correct you just to be visible, or frame your post as an attack on their identity. Classic narcissistic behavior, a lot of that going around. Almost never worth debating, although potentially very amusing material for memes from them.” So well said. I wrote about this here: https://www.whitenoise.email/p/we-all-have-main-character-syndrome
Some people can’t agree to disagree and still be friendly.
And sometimes, just sometimes, they might be right and you might be wrong. (Never happened to me though, natch!)
Excellent post Doomberg!
I am just preparing a speech about that very subject.
Maybe some people will start thinking with more clarity, research, common sense, and the facts and not just their emotional opinions.
Wow! You hit the nailon the head over and over and over! Takes "damned if you, damned if you don't" to new heights or maybe depths.