Why I don't discuss politics on social media:
Short answer...because I am an elitist.
I can explain, but you probably won't like it.
Buckle up, Buttercup.
I have no problem discussing politics under certain circumstances, like, if you're smart and open-minded. If you're not, you are either a waste of my time, or a waste of yours. From my perspective, there are certain logistical considerations, also. Allow me to walk through them with you.
Who reads my posts? My friends. Collectively, my friends are well
above average in intelligence, so, if I were to write my political
opinion about a topic, the readers are likely to be above average.
Unfortunately, my friends also tend to be kind; kind to others,
including stupid people. Without my draconian elitism, my friends might
inadvertently share my opinion with stupid people. That is exactly where
the problem comes in: when, precisely, do we add the first idiot to the
discussion? If you can pinpoint that very moment, exactly, and
magically delete my post 5 seconds earlier, oh what a joy social media
would be!
(I pause for a chuckle at the almost-smart person catching a glimpse
of my text disappearing before their very eyes! Bwahahaha!).
You may ask: why are stupid people a problem? Don't they deserve to
be heard and educated? In short, no and no. Deserve to be heard? No,
smart people endeavor to engage their brains BEFORE they engage their mouths, (or keyboards). I want intelligent conversation with people that
have something to offer. I want to learn, I want to welcome new
perspectives and consider things I have not considered before. The same
old nattering from CNN or Fox News interests me not at all. I know the
party line, an idiot's reinforcement is not appreciated. Deserve to be
educated? Perhaps, but not by me. My pay comes in terms of your unique
perspective. Without that, if you learn from me, you owe me $5. One
never improves his chess game by constantly battling halfwits.
I guess I really didn't answer the question. More to the point,
stupid people cheapen the conversation, dragging it down to their level.
Yuck. If you waste my time with remedial discussion, we'll never get to
truly challenging topics--the kind of thing that would actually keep me
from slipping into an intellectual torpor (that leads to decline and
Alzheimer's, [personal opinion]). There is an old adage: "Children
should be seen, not heard." Have you ever wondered why that was?
Buttercup, I'll tell you: it's because kids are stupid. When adults are
talking, kids, like stupid people have nothing to offer and their lot in
life would be greatly improved by them closing their mouths and
opening their ears.
You know, one of the most insidious aspects of social media: it makes
you think you are smarter than you are. The proof is everywhere. You know this to be true, and I
will readily admit, I am not impervious to it. (I hate myself for it; I
must remain vigilant!). I think that is why social media is so
addictive--there's this huge dopamine rush that comes from people
proving their intellectual inferiority to you. Sadly, I think this
effect is more pronounced in stupid people. Have you ever noticed how
quickly the comments section deteriorates? At most, you will see one or
two useful comments before that first idiot cracks his knuckles and
unleashes the demon, Stoopid, all over the screen. Me, reading my FB
feed: "That's interesting! Oh wait, comments got stupid." "Hey...oh,
nevermind." "Awww..." There are times I wish computers costed $20K
each--it might cut down on the riffraff.
The bottom line: I would greatly prefer to see pictures of the fabulous meal you just prepared, or that hysterical selfie of you with your sweet, little Mittens, or even that Garfield rerun about coffee on Mondays or lasagna on the weekend. Just anything except the Red Plate Special or the Blue Plate Special...leave those to the dolts.
I would not, by any means, consider myself intelligent, but I do appreciate the open mind, willingness to hear all sides and be able to walk away without being pistol whipped that I don't share the same views as others. It's a sad place to live in that it's more important to shove an opinion on someone than it is to open your mind to hearing something you might not have known. I miss our long pondering conversations, Mr. McKenna.
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