If you go back to "How the internet sux" December 12th, 2011's Entry on my "Brian's Wit" blog, I wrote about the vaccination issue then, and my views have not changed. I was met with this debate once before. And even then, people were foaming at the mouth about it and were grossly misinformed. I know that people become really polarized for topics that involve their children's safety and many times, social media has distorted the truth and confuses people. It makes caring parents that only want the best for their kids make decisions that are not in the best interests despite the level of awareness they think they have.
It breeds conspiracy theories that are based on bunk. I say this because now that Facebook has been around for more then ten years, it has had a major impact on what people believe to be the truth. Now, more than ever, people are really spending more time on the computer like this because is dresses up people's ability to say what they want to someone without having to be there in person. I am sure that many people would be very different to one another if they actually had to say the same things to their "friend's" faces in person rather than duck behind a website which can be very impersonal.
I have been accused of ranting on Facebook before, saying hateful things--when that isn't true.
Yes, I can be blunt and honest about what I think. If I know to be true the facts about a topic and have experience in the topic, I will stand by what I have to say. If someone doesn't agree with me, I am fine with that, but don't bitch at me to change my mind with untruths. If someone wants to believe something they've read, and want to force the issue with me when I know that what they are saying is false and they are doing it in a way that draws out the anger and abuse on both sides of the debate, that is when I'm going to disengage and leave the conversation.
If I continue to be attacked because my opinion differs, I am going defend myself ONCE, then disengage. If it brings out my anger, it's only because I am being threatened or abused in a public online forum. I reserve the right to change my mind based on facts that are presented to me in a calm and professional and educated sort of way. By my saying this online, I am sure that there are going to be people out there that want to accuse me of thinking I am better than they are and they will find serious conflict and be hurt by it. I cannot guarantee that I am not going to hurt someone's feelings once in a while because I cannot read minds and I am not presuming that I am going to know a person's innermost interpersonal skill. Most of the time, I am pretty good about picking my friends.
Unfortunately, I have a more difficult time saying "No" to people and it causes me trouble with critical mass. I wrote extensively about my theory of critical mass in life on my "Brian's Wit" blog also. If you ever want to know where I stand with an issue, I am sure you will be able to find it on my blogs. Mom was telling me yesterday that I should host my own radio show because I have the gift for gab. We talked about some of the jobs I did when I was in the US Navy. Part of that conversation is about figuring out what i should be doing with my life as a career--something that at 42-years-old I should probably already know what that should be. The problem is that I am interested in many things and educate myself by reading a lot of non-fiction.
I am also very opinionated and stubborn about things once I have learned and become a "subject matter expert" and tend to not change my mind unless irrefutable evidence has been presented to the contrary. I also have the ability to type extremely fast so I can pour out my thoughts into text in large volumes in a very short period of time causing most people to believe that I spend hours expounding or pontificating about topics online--which is further from the truth.
So when i say that I am having to modify my writing style, it is mostly to do with putting into words the true essence of why I think the way i do while not losing the passion about it, but keeping emotional outbursts out of it. It is an art-form with writing. There is a poetry in news-writing that if a person can master journalism--not just by keeping spelling and grammar errors at bay--he or she can be much more sophisticated about conveying their message without it coming off like it's an agenda. Keeping embellishments out of it in an effort to keep people interested--just look at what has happened with Brian Williams.
I know that it is impossible for me to please everyone. I just get hurt by finding out that people I have met in person--REAL LIFE--are angered by what I have to say and take such personal damage over it when I never intended for it to ever get that far. I have respect for my friend's. I guess it is a measure of my true friendship with them if they take such an offense that it jeopardizes my ability to remain in a relationship with them because they are unwilling to let go of negative feelings and "agree to disagree." Especially when the behavior they display to me is completely out of character for them--or it's a side of their personality that I've never seen before and it surprises me.
It has me second guessing what is really important--do I compromise my views so I avoid conflict or do I lose a friendship over it? Is a friendship with another person really worth risking over a topic that shouldn't effect our ability to remain friends? This is the black curse of Facebook. How can I be earnest and honest with someone I love or care about if I feel like I have to put a governor on my writing? I'm a writer. It's the one thing that can combine all my passions and talents together. It is something that I think about doing all the time. I like to share my stories, opinions, and ideas in this way. I guess I am just going to have to accept that I am going to lose and gain friends along the way. I just hope that I can continue to maintain the long-term friendships I've had over the years.
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