Scrolling Without Comment

I saw a meme this morning that someone shared on Facebook which read:

“I saw a post I didn’t agree with. -I chose not to get offended. -I chose not to change their mind. -I chose not to comment. -I still like the person. I just kept scrolling and went on with my day.”

– Dr, Shawne.com

I realize the intent of this post was likely to point out the idea that it is possible to still like someone who posts something we don’t agree with.

But when I read it, I homed in on the part that said, “I chose not to change their mind. – I chose not to comment.”

Naturally, I commented on that post with an abbreviated version of the following writing. 🙂

It seems to me that we have been (and are continuing to be) socially manipulated, conditioned to not engage in open discourse, which not only stunts our growth & the growth of those around us, but can also lead to the harm of someone else when we know better.

None of us have “arrived” in our understanding — we all still have a lot to learn in life, and we can learn a lot when we allow ourselves to be exposed to new & contrary ideas, especially when we have the ability to engage in discussion with those presenting them in order to gain better understanding of their perspective.

I can certainly appreciate the choice to not get personally offended when someone says/posts something we don’t agree with, and I think that is wise across the board. And I see no reason to necessarily dislike someone simply because you disagree with something they’ve said/posted.

But I think the choice to not try to change someone’s mind needs to be a matter of discernment on a case-by-case basis as to whether or not that person (or any other person who sees/hears that interaction) is open to having their mind expanded.

And I think the choice to not comment on someone else’s remark is also a matter of individual discernment considering a variety of aspects.

The fact is we all need meaningful social engagement, whether that happens in real life or in a virtual social environment.

We are social creatures, and part of being human, which separates us from the animals, is being able to reason and communicate our thoughts & ideas.

Naturally, we are going to have different ideas, based on our different perspectives as a result of a wide range of differing sets of circumstance, knowledge, skills & experience.

We are blessed with the ability to communicate our respective perspectives to not only inform, but also potentially enrich the lives of those around us.

If we allow others to condition us to never speak our mind to one another, then I’m afraid we will lose one of the most powerful parts of our humanity & human interaction.

So, while it is certainly everyone’s individual choice to not do the above-mentioned things in that meme and scroll right past another person’s communication without disliking them, I think we need to make sure it is our choice to pass them by and not some programmed response to diminish our beauty & strength as humans.

That’s what’s on my mind. What say you?