Ten Things to Do Instead of Responding to That Person on Facebook (Who is Clearly Wrong)
It’s happening. You saw the title of the article that someone posted with a “just going to leave this here” and you knew should have stopped there. You are definitely not going to read the comments.
You didn't stop did you? You looked at the comments and it’s even worse than you thought it would be. You know you have a great response.
[Pause]
If you get into this argument, you will spend at least 10 minutes on your first response. Then they will inevitably respond and next thing you know it will be Thursday evening and you will be ready to quit social media forever.
So here are some ideas for what you could with that time instead of responding:
1. Take a walk outside. If the weather is nice, why waste a perfectly good day arguing with someone who is likely not going to change their mind no matter what you say or how you say it? Honestly, a walk in the rain or snow is still probably better than what you are about to get into if you respond.
2. Watch a TED talk. We live in a world where you can get life advice from top experts in every field. In the time it would take for you to craft a good zinger for your co-worker’s second cousin, you could expand your own world a bit and maybe learn something new.
3. Listen to a podcast. There are so many amazing podcasts floating around right now, I don’t know where to start. But whatever you are interested in, there’s probably a podcast about it. (You could start with any of these)
4. Read a book. Read a short story. Read a poem. Read something.
5. Write your response on paper instead. There’s a reason that thing your cousin’s roommate said hit a nerve that made you want to lash out. Write it down. Talk it out with people you trust. Write to your representative if it’s a problem that needs to be addressed. Writing is one of the best ways to clarify and understand your own mind.
6. Listen to some music that you love. For me it's probably going to be Chance the Rapper’s cover of the Arthur theme song (shout out to Evan Yeong for introducing me to my new favorite song).
7. Sit down and talk, uninterrupted, with someone you care about.
8. Donate to an organization that is doing something you believe makes the world better.
9. Give something a 5 star review on Amazon. Negativity and criticism are easy. Take a minute to celebrate something really great.
10. Pray. Pray for the person who you disagree with (but DO NOT tell them you will pray for them). Pray for your country, your world, your neighbors. Pray for your own heart.
All this is not to say that you should avoid dialogue with people who disagree with you. I think those conversations 100% need to happen. And they are happening. But there are constructive ways to have these conversations and then there are facebook arguments. I know for myself I may avoid online arguments to the extreme that it may seem like I do not care about what is happening. I assure you, I care deeply. I am still working through how to have these conversations, and deal with the things that hurt us, while treating each other with dignity and an open heart. It’s a long, scary process. But it’s a process that I want to approach with grace and love alongside truth and justice.
