Wednesday 8 May 2013

Day 8: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all. (#BEDM)


It’s simple really.

DON'T TALK ABOUT POLITICS OR RELIGION ON THE INTERNET.


It’s a shame it has to be this way, but that’s the way it is. Talking about politics or religion used to be okay, and is usually still okay in other situations. But not on the internet. No good can come of it.

It’s also a shame because we really *should* be talking about politics and religion. They’re important, they’re inherently topical and the fact that people disagree about them means they really should be talked about.

But it just isn’t worth it anymore.

There is no point in responding, irrespective of the provocation. It really doesn’t matter how right you are, or how wrong they are. It really doesn’t matter that they are completely deluded, closed-minded, irrational, or good old-fashioned mental.

It doesn’t even matter how earth-shatteringly clever, cogent, logical and convincing you are.

THEY WILL NEVER CHANGE THEIR MIND.


Not because of what people say online, at any rate.

We’ve all done it. We’ve all been sucked in at some point. But where did it get you? It just makes you cross, and it spirals out of control and you end up rowing for ages, and then it turns to grammar, or insults, or another topic altogether. And then someone will talk about ‘winning the argument’ which, as phrases go, just makes my blood boil, as those arguments are never really won or lost anyway.

You won’t change your mind. They won’t change their mind. So why bother?

Delusional or not, just let it go.  You’ll be a lot happier and you’ll get hours of your life back.

They'll still continue to be just as wrong, whether you waste an evening telling them or not...

Much easier just to read a book or watch television or have a glass of wine.

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