The Possibilities

Like most, I spend time on social media getting a feel for how others think. I make my political affiliations known--I am an open book when it comes to things like that. Try as I might, I work to convince others that my skew on things political and social have merit, but attempt to not get into the muck when the conversation devolves into personal insults. Yes, I am more than guilty of doing so, and sometimes post things I wish I could take back, or should not have posted to begin with--but in my defense, the logical side of my mind can take only so much.


It is interesting to me to find that my discourse with most people, regardless of political slant or perception, is very typically civil. Only from the safety of a person's computer or phone will the vileness rear its ugly head. Why folks feel it necessary to take the dialogue to the nasty abyss, I will never understand.


I would love to meet or find a person with opposing views from my own to simply hang out with and have some friendly debate. I run in circles with like-minded individuals, and miss the days of having these debates (I have lived in areas where the majority think differently than I).


Onto social media! Some semblance of civility should be a requirement for anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account, in my opinion. There seems to be a social disconnect, ironically, when engaging is social or political banter. The disconnect, of course, stems from ones inability to control his/her emotions when someone doesn't agree with their point of view. Give it a rest, keyboard warriors! The chances of you impacting someone to the degree that they will change their min on a topic is minimal at best. So, do not get your feelings hurt when someone disagrees. Keep to the facts and try real, real hard to not get personal (this is a difficult thing to accomplish).


It is also interesting to me, when discussing hot political topics with those who may have opposing points of view, to see how much we actually have in common. At best, most people have one, two, or three things they may strongly disagree with the majority about, but other things that do not personally impact them, or things that do not strike an emotional chord on, are largely overlooked. We should all keep that in mind when talking to our friends about touchy subjects.


If we could all sit down and speak face-to-face about various topics, we would most likely move the needle forward. It isn't always about whose side you are on; instead, focus on what makes our lives better. If we do this, the possibilities for human evolvement are endless.