It's a whole new world, a Facebook world

Facebook and other social media is a whole new world.  It engages the brain like no other thing in our past.  We've never been able to put ourselves out there the way we do with digital  connectivity like we do now.  It's incredibly fascinating.  I can't wait to read the studies that will come out in 30 years about how this online presence of ourselves effected our minds and psyche.

I had someone ask me the other day how certain online interactions made me feel.  I believe this person is also discovering the complexities of online conversation just as I am.

This is such a complex topic that I'm probably going to botch it.

I remember one time when I was in Amway....someone said something to a group of people that could have been hurtful if said to one individual.  And one individual did say that it was hurtful.  To which the originator of potentially hurtful thing said that he wasn't talking to anyone individually, but if it spoke to you it wasn't him talking but it was your self image talking to yourself.

That stuck with me.

When I read something and it's hurtful to me or upsets me, was that the original intent of the author, or is it my self image putting my own spin on what they said?

And Facebook puts another spin on it.  Most people we talk to aren't actual people.  Well, they are, but not really.  We probably don't know them that well.  So even if they do call us an asshole, they are only calling us an asshole based on the tiny bit of conversation we had.  But we project that label onto all of our selves.  We look at all of our life in it's entirety and try to prove or deny the asshole accusation.  And if we have a poor self image, we'll probably take on the identity of asshole.

But often times....those people slinging names and negativity.  Even if it's only aimed at you, it's not.  It's aimed at the entire tribe of what you are representing.  Not you personally.  If you are talking to someone that you barely know over Facebook except for just a name, they become the representative of a whole group of people.  And you create that group.

I don't know if any of this makes sense.

Just remember, if you engage with a stranger or someone whom you only know on Facebook, who they are is not who they are.  Who they are is what you created them to be.  So when someone criticizes you or calls you names, they aren't saying that to you.  They are are saying that to the person they created which is only an image of the demographic you chose to represent.

So take a chill.  Relax.  Think the best of yourself.  Be the best you.

I hope that makes sense.  That's tough to communicate.  Just like anything you try to say on Facebook.   Rick Grimes is dead.