Politics and Social Media

It probably should come as no surprise to anybody that I hold conservative views on some issues.

But I also have liberal views on other issues.

Which issues are which, I'm not going to say. And therein lies some of the problem.

When it comes to social media and whatever small platform I have, I'm absolutely *terrified* to even begin to *mention* the former. The amount of rejection, ridicule, hatred, and malice I fear that I would receive for sharing a thought that falls to the right of center is almost crippling, and really triggers my anxiety. From what I see of people on Twitter, this fear isn't one that's entirely off-base. And to be honest, this perceived rejection certainly contributed to the depression of been struggling with of late.

To make matters worse, whenever I find myself landing on the left of something, I feel myself *wanting* to share those thoughts! I think "oh, if I share *this* idea, people will like it! I'll get brownie points! I'll be found to be part of the in-crowd and people will like my posts and retweet me and celebrate me as one of them." This represents the ultimate in virtue-signalling, something I can't stand. Yet I oh-so-feel that temptation in myself. Which makes sharing any of *those* thoughts or having a reasonable discussion about them off the table.

I think I'm pretty reasonable. I think I've got a fair deal of compassion for folks. And my tendency is almost always to jump to the defense of someone being attacked, even if who I need to defend isn't someone I'd necessarily agree with. I try to to understand the heart behind why people think the way they do, and not view the "other-side" as my enemy. I tend to think my views are pretty well thought-out, too. I probably could add something to the conversation. But I'm too scared to do so. And that's sad.

So no, this isn't about Kavanaugh or Trump or the election or any of that. And as you can see, I'm not even close to feeling comfortable talking about any of it - so please don't ask (at least not publicly). But it's all stressing me out so much I had to say something.

So what's the point? I guess... be nice to people. Watch your language. Treat others the way you'd want to be treated. Likely the same way you feel about the "other side" is exactly the same way they feel about you. You're probably both a little bit wrong, and a little bit right. Try to understand a bit more about why someone else thinks the way they do, even if you disagree with them.