Being social in a not so social world

We live in a day and age when it is easier to communicate with people than ever before.  But we also live in a day and age when people listen to each other the absolute least of ever before.

We live in a day and age when bullying, rudeness, and just plain meanness are more prevalent than ever before.

Sadly, we live in a day and age when people care less and less about others than ever before.

I'm sitting here, playing games, and trying to recover from someone who took it upon themselves to tag me on facebook in a comment for a comment I made.  I tried to reply to her in a comment, and that just escalated it.

I ended up deleting my comments and leaving the group.  It was a writer's group, of all things.

It's getting to where I hate to comment on posts on facebook.  You never know what shitstorm that you may be unleashing into your life.

And this isn't the first time that this has happened to me.

I make a simple comment in passing, and then move on, putting it out of my mind.  Then I get back on facebook and go through my notifications, and then it starts.  But after this latest one, I've come to a conclusion.  I've decided what the best course of action is.

Go and delete the comment that started it.  Then leave the group and find another group to join.  Comment as little as possible, and use facebook groups as no more than sources of information; and not as places for social interaction.

For there are people out there who are looking for someone to get into it with, and the next person they choose might be you.

And take our government leaders.  They are prime examples of people of whom it is very easy to contact them, but really is a waste of your time.  They don't care about you, except for voting time, and they don't care about your opinions on diddly-squat.

Give it a try.  Contact one of your senators or congressmen or even the president.  Express an opinion on something to them, perhaps an opinion that you know conflicts with theirs.  You'll maybe get a nice, polite response from them, wherein they explain why you are wrong and they are right and so much wiser than you.

They're a bunch of smartasses.

In fact, the world is quite filled with smartasses.
Some of the smartasses are violent as well.

So I've come to the conclusion that interacting with people today can not only be upsetting and time consuming, but you never know when you will encounter that one in a million nutcase who will endanger your physical safety.

Sometimes even blogging can incur this.  I've even had to delete a blog post before because of the harassing comments from people.

And you know what group that most of my harassing comments come from lately?
Other writers.

That fact is just so damn sad it defies description.
-- jd --