Your social media page is not the town square

I saw a meme on Facebook a few days ago that said (ironically), “The best way to become enlightened is to argue with people on Facebook.”

It resonated with me because comments from people trying to argue in my post threads get DELETED. I don’t want that energy on my wall. I don’t care if you’re right or wrong. Attempts to argue are immediately deleted.

Here’s the path to enlightenment through the vehicle of Facebook (because all vehicles are paths to enlightenment, if you use them the right way): when someone posts something you don’t like or agree with, notice your response/reaction. If you come racing out of the gate, shouting them down, telling them how stupid or misinformed their position is, you are as far from enlightenment as it is possible to get. But if you pause, take a breath, think about what they said, try to understand why they said it, consider whether it is true/factual/informed or not, then carefully consider whether to respond at all, and then if choosing to respond you also measure your response through the THINK gate (is it True, Helpful, Informed/Important/Inspiring, Necessary, AND Kind), then you are approaching enlightenment.

In the USA, we have taken our right to freedom of speech too far when we do not recognize that we also have the freedom and responsibility to measure our words and be kind.

This is a lesson that I have made a top priority in my teaching at school, because it’s something sorely lacking in American society in recent years.

And for those of you who have not yet figured this out: you CAN delete people’s comments from your post threads; you are under no obligation whatsoever to be the town hall for whoever wants to rant on your wall. It’s YOUR wall, and it’s not only your right to moderate it, it’s your responsibility.

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