New Facebook Virus is Spreading Rapidly!
WARNING! A virus has hit Facebook and it is spreading at an alarming rate! It’s called the “Righteous Indignitus” virus. Symptoms include: – Reacting emotionally to news stories (some fake, some true, some half-true), rather than responding thoughtfully. – Reposting of stories that fit a cognitive bias followed by likes and comments which seem to support the virus-carrier’s beliefs (with a seeming lack of awareness or reckless lack of concern over the silence from those who might not think precisely the same way). The virus actually feeds on these likes and comments. – A public invitation to “unfriend”, “unfollow” and “block” them if you dare to have thoughts, feelings and/or opinions which vary from that which fits the narrative they believe to be true, or if you would provide any information that would assist in making a more complete evaluation of any given situation. The virus carrier actually believes having you as a contact will infect THEM with some sort of bad juju or mojo. In their minds, you are contaminated and should be quarantined. – A smug self-satisfaction that the cutting off relationships with human beings who might think different is somehow a victory. WARNING: Do not fall prey to Righteous Indignitus. If you don’t like this post, than you are free to unfriend, unfollow and/or block me… AAAGH! The virus is attempting to get me, too!!! On the other hand. DON’T unfriend, unfollow or block me. Unless you want to. I really don’t care. Here’s why… If you don’t see me as an autonomous human being with rights to my own thoughts, feelings and beliefs… If you don’t have the awareness to recognize that none of us know it all… and that we can ALL be deceived and/or wrong about some of the things we believe… If you can’t handle opinions contrary to your own and have the courage to consider that you may be wrong… You may be infected with Righteous Indignitus. And if you do choose to not relate to me, it’s not my problem… It’s yours. You weren’t a friend to begin with. You were, in the words of Gotye, “somebody that I used to know.” As for me, I occasionally unfollow someone because I don’t care to read their posts. This allows me to maintain a relationship that matters to me without subjecting myself to posts which I find unhelpful and unhealthy. The only time I unfriend or block someone is if they are vile to ME, personally. You can attack what I believe. Attacking ideas is NOT the same as attacking a person. You don’t get a second chance if you attack me personally. I choose to value people for who they are, whether or not I agree with them. Even if I think what they believe is wrong. We CAN agree to disagree, in both small things and big things. To finish out this already-too-long post, it was brought to my attention that a person I have known for years… one who I have had a good relationship with… someone who has repeatedly told me that I am “one of the good guys”, had a problem with a friend of mine. And because I am a friend of that person, person A unfriended me. I didn’t do anything other than be a friend to someone he didn’t like. Righteous Indignitus. It’s toxic. Here’s are some thoughts which might be useful to all of us: 1) Don’t assume you have it all figured out. I most certainly don’t. Neither do you. I can’t count how many times I thought one way about something and my opinions have changed based on receiving more information. I’ll bet you have experienced the same thing. 2) Recognize that we all have cognitive bias, but we can strive to overcome it by referring to #1. When you read or see a news story that causes you to react emotionally, ask yourself if there might be MORE to the story that you are not being told. Ask yourself if the writer or publisher is toying with your emotions specifically to use you as a pawn for their agenda. (Unless you like to be blown about by the wind of those who are seeking easy prey.) Ask yourself if your cognitive bias is showing. 3) Chill out. Learn to “respond”, not “react”. Reacting is driven by your feelings (which may or may not be based in reality). Responding is thoughtful engagement with the topic and NOT being driven by your emotions. Responding is healthy. More often than not, reacting is unhealthy. Put on your big boy and big girl pants. If you think you or someone you know might be infected with Righteous Indignitus, please disperse proper medication. Red pills of truth are usually the best.
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