Kindness is something we should all practice. Sometimes it is exceptionally hard to show kindness to someone who is being rude or argumentative but we should try. Kindness can be in the form of empathy, understanding, compassion...anything really.
it's easier to be nice, compassionate, kind and understanding when you are face to face with someone but on the internet it is a completely different story.
It seems that the internet is where combat takes place. The internet.. well.. let's say Facebook because that is really what I happen to be talking about.... Facebook is where you re-post articles that express your views, or you make comments about how someone is crazy for believing something specific, or maybe you just use facebook to say Wut Up to your peeps... it doesn't matter, there are opinions flying everywhere at every minute of the day and it's hard to keep up.
Some people willingly engage in combat as they want to be right... others ignore the comments that bother them. But I did something interesting this weekend. I had a comment posted to my page that upset me. It honestly didn't matter why it upset me.. but it did. So I decided that it was my time to stop being the girl that gets stepped on because my feelings matter too. So I expressed how I was upset to the person who made the comment. I expected some understanding in the situation. I was so very very wrong. I received the most combative, rude and insane message back. I was in such shock. I had no idea that what I said... about what that person said... would result in me crying on a Saturday night.
I know I was right to express my opinion on the comment and I know that they were right for expressing their opinion as well, but sometimes you have to take a moment and try to understand the other person. I told them that I knew that they didn't mean harm because I felt that to be true and I wanted them to be aware that I was trying to understand them...this person did not take the time to understand anything because within moments of my message I had one back that was just so uncalled for. It would have been fine if they didn't agree with me and even if they thought I was a little weird for being upset but instead they attacked.
I'm old enough to know that I need to be secure in who I am. I am not always secure but I certainly know that people can't continue to treat me like crap. It is clear that this person and I are very different people. I try to understand why someone is acting a certain way and this person apparently doesn't care. I don't really have time for that. Not anymore.
The people who mean the most to me know that. They know I try to understand. I may not always get it... but I'm trying.
it's easier to be nice, compassionate, kind and understanding when you are face to face with someone but on the internet it is a completely different story.
It seems that the internet is where combat takes place. The internet.. well.. let's say Facebook because that is really what I happen to be talking about.... Facebook is where you re-post articles that express your views, or you make comments about how someone is crazy for believing something specific, or maybe you just use facebook to say Wut Up to your peeps... it doesn't matter, there are opinions flying everywhere at every minute of the day and it's hard to keep up.
Some people willingly engage in combat as they want to be right... others ignore the comments that bother them. But I did something interesting this weekend. I had a comment posted to my page that upset me. It honestly didn't matter why it upset me.. but it did. So I decided that it was my time to stop being the girl that gets stepped on because my feelings matter too. So I expressed how I was upset to the person who made the comment. I expected some understanding in the situation. I was so very very wrong. I received the most combative, rude and insane message back. I was in such shock. I had no idea that what I said... about what that person said... would result in me crying on a Saturday night.
I know I was right to express my opinion on the comment and I know that they were right for expressing their opinion as well, but sometimes you have to take a moment and try to understand the other person. I told them that I knew that they didn't mean harm because I felt that to be true and I wanted them to be aware that I was trying to understand them...this person did not take the time to understand anything because within moments of my message I had one back that was just so uncalled for. It would have been fine if they didn't agree with me and even if they thought I was a little weird for being upset but instead they attacked.
I'm old enough to know that I need to be secure in who I am. I am not always secure but I certainly know that people can't continue to treat me like crap. It is clear that this person and I are very different people. I try to understand why someone is acting a certain way and this person apparently doesn't care. I don't really have time for that. Not anymore.
The people who mean the most to me know that. They know I try to understand. I may not always get it... but I'm trying.
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