PoliTalker
Diversity Makes Greatness
Because meanness is contagious!
When you're mean to somebody, it makes them feel bad. When people feel bad, they tend to be mean to somebody else.
If you're mean to somebody, they are very likely to go and be mean to somebody else.
And around and around it goes, feeling bad, being mean, until most people think: 'That's just the way it is.'
But it doesn't have to be that way. And it shouldn't. Why are we letting mean people set the tone? We don't have to.
Part of the problem with internet posting is you don't get to look people in the eye. There's no expression. Nothing about the way you say something. You don't get to add a smile or a look.
It's all about what is written. The written word conveys it all. Nothing is softened with a smile, a wink or a glint in the eye. The written word is the only thing there, so the written word carries more weight than the spoken word. Everything is about what is written. Mean words become meaner.
Your words carry more weight here. Mean words hit harder. We have to be more careful. It's a big responsibility, taking care of other people's feelings. And it's important. What goes around comes around.
If we really want to help our nation, work out issues, solve problems, share information, communicate effectively, cause people to ponder our own creative ideas; we need to be nicer.
Mean words cause many to simply stay away from this site. Others may return, but use the Ignore Feature. The fact that mean words cause so many to stop or reduce their participation tells us the effect. The consequences of using mean words result in people not talking. And not listening, not communicating. Did we come here to participate in communication or shut it down?
We came here to talk about politics, talk about the business of our nation; learn, share, understand.
All of that is impacted by being mean. Impacted negatively. It hurts. Yes, mean words hurt people, hurt conversations, hurt good communication.
Nice people are driven away. This becomes a place for mean people and mean conversations. And that is exactly what we see, what others see, what turns off people who wander in here, sends them away, keeps this place limited; held back; less than it can be.
Most people don't want to talk about politics. We are unusual. We are willing to come here and talk about politics. That makes us special, rare. We all know people in real life that we can't talk politics with. We save our comments and bring them here because political comments are welcome here. We are the ones who care enough about what is going on in our country to come here and talk about it all. That makes it even more important that our conversations accomplish something beneficial. Being mean, turning people off, driving away positive contributions to the conversations is counteractive to helping our nation.
Standard anti-troll thread thief disclaimer:
If we care so much about what is going on in our country to come here and discuss politics, why do we allow ourselves to be so mean that it shuts down good discussions and instead turns into stupid flame wars with strangers over the internet? Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.
And helping our nation improve is why we are all here. We can all think of ideas to help our nation. We come here to share them, talk about what we can do.
Being mean undoes the good we accomplish by coming here and sharing.
Some people around here need to give their attitude a tune up.
Why are you here? To share bad feelings? If so, why? What does it do for you to make other people feel bad? If there is ANY benefit to being mean, how long does that feeling last? Is it truly rewarding? Does it make you feel content? That fleeting little endorphin rush from being able to let loose with your anger. Does that really do any good? Maybe you should just stop and think about the big picture of what you are doing.
Maybe you need to examine just why you act mean. What are you trying to accomplish? Sounds like a cry for help from a messed up mind to me.
The we/they thing is real strong here. WE are the good guys; and THEY are the bad guys. We have to fight the bad guys so our goodness can reign. Right? Is that it?
Well if that's the motivation then the next logical question is if you are the good guys, how does being mean make you good?
Mean people suck. No part of being good involves being mean. Being mean is being bad. Be good. Be nice!
Don't be mean.
Respect other people as you would like to be respected yourself.
It's the golden rule.
And it makes sense.
For the good of humankind.
Being nice is the right thing to do.
When you're mean to somebody, it makes them feel bad. When people feel bad, they tend to be mean to somebody else.
If you're mean to somebody, they are very likely to go and be mean to somebody else.
And around and around it goes, feeling bad, being mean, until most people think: 'That's just the way it is.'
But it doesn't have to be that way. And it shouldn't. Why are we letting mean people set the tone? We don't have to.
Part of the problem with internet posting is you don't get to look people in the eye. There's no expression. Nothing about the way you say something. You don't get to add a smile or a look.
It's all about what is written. The written word conveys it all. Nothing is softened with a smile, a wink or a glint in the eye. The written word is the only thing there, so the written word carries more weight than the spoken word. Everything is about what is written. Mean words become meaner.
Your words carry more weight here. Mean words hit harder. We have to be more careful. It's a big responsibility, taking care of other people's feelings. And it's important. What goes around comes around.
If we really want to help our nation, work out issues, solve problems, share information, communicate effectively, cause people to ponder our own creative ideas; we need to be nicer.
Mean words cause many to simply stay away from this site. Others may return, but use the Ignore Feature. The fact that mean words cause so many to stop or reduce their participation tells us the effect. The consequences of using mean words result in people not talking. And not listening, not communicating. Did we come here to participate in communication or shut it down?
We came here to talk about politics, talk about the business of our nation; learn, share, understand.
All of that is impacted by being mean. Impacted negatively. It hurts. Yes, mean words hurt people, hurt conversations, hurt good communication.
Nice people are driven away. This becomes a place for mean people and mean conversations. And that is exactly what we see, what others see, what turns off people who wander in here, sends them away, keeps this place limited; held back; less than it can be.
Most people don't want to talk about politics. We are unusual. We are willing to come here and talk about politics. That makes us special, rare. We all know people in real life that we can't talk politics with. We save our comments and bring them here because political comments are welcome here. We are the ones who care enough about what is going on in our country to come here and talk about it all. That makes it even more important that our conversations accomplish something beneficial. Being mean, turning people off, driving away positive contributions to the conversations is counteractive to helping our nation.
Standard anti-troll thread thief disclaimer:
If we care so much about what is going on in our country to come here and discuss politics, why do we allow ourselves to be so mean that it shuts down good discussions and instead turns into stupid flame wars with strangers over the internet? Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.
And helping our nation improve is why we are all here. We can all think of ideas to help our nation. We come here to share them, talk about what we can do.
Being mean undoes the good we accomplish by coming here and sharing.
Some people around here need to give their attitude a tune up.
Why are you here? To share bad feelings? If so, why? What does it do for you to make other people feel bad? If there is ANY benefit to being mean, how long does that feeling last? Is it truly rewarding? Does it make you feel content? That fleeting little endorphin rush from being able to let loose with your anger. Does that really do any good? Maybe you should just stop and think about the big picture of what you are doing.
Maybe you need to examine just why you act mean. What are you trying to accomplish? Sounds like a cry for help from a messed up mind to me.
The we/they thing is real strong here. WE are the good guys; and THEY are the bad guys. We have to fight the bad guys so our goodness can reign. Right? Is that it?
Well if that's the motivation then the next logical question is if you are the good guys, how does being mean make you good?
Mean people suck. No part of being good involves being mean. Being mean is being bad. Be good. Be nice!
Don't be mean.
Respect other people as you would like to be respected yourself.
It's the golden rule.
And it makes sense.
For the good of humankind.
Being nice is the right thing to do.
