Why I Don't Post About Politics on Facebook
I realize that this post isn't necessary to write. Obviously, I could just go on in my social media life posting about things that aren't politics and I doubt anyone would really notice. I'm a pregnant woman with friends who just got married and I'm pretty happy with everything right now, and my Facebook tends to reflect that.
But gosh and golly sometimes I just get my dander up. I saw this post on my newsfeed that was basically like, "Oh, you don't like my political posts? I'm sorry I thought talking about the future of our country was important, you just go ahead and keep posting pictures of your meal."
Two of the five pictures I posted on Instagram in the past three weeks have been meals. Two more are selfies (showing off my beautiful hair), and the last one is a flower bouquet my husband got me.
Anyway, I haven't posted about politics on Facebook (as far as I can remember) this election season. And I don't really intend on doing so for the rest of the season, unless it's something like, "Go Vote!" (Because you need to vote!) This is somewhat out of sync with what I've done in previous elections, especially 2012.
During the 2012 election season, I got really into politics. It was the year when I finished high school and started college, and before I declared myself as a political science major. And, to be honest, it was a dark, hellish time in my life. I was mean. And not like, in the general sense. I permanently lost friends from that time because of the awful, hurtful way I treated them, all because we disagreed politically. And I saw their faces every day. I wasn't any nicer online. My parents started worrying about the state of my soul. Dad suggested I do an Arbinger seminar (a peacebuilding class) so that I could garner some love toward the rest of humanity.
Anyway, eventually the campaign ended and Obama won and I was happy and gloatful. Eventually, at some point, I realized I had been an ass (to put it mildly) and resolved to do better. I'm not proud of myself and how I acted. I did realize that I had a passion for politics and social sciences and became a political science major, where I slowly began to learn how to disagree like an adult with other people. Without denigrating their intelligence or life choices, and how to still be friends with those who disagreed with me on certain stances, and how to build understanding based on those things we agreed on. I was taught that if I couldn't understand how someone I disagreed with drew the conclusions they drew and why it was important to them, did I really understand my conclusions I drew and why it's important to me? I eventually did do an Arbinger seminar, and I learned, once again, that to dehumanize someone leads to treating them badly. I also realized that the best political conversations didn't happen on Facebook or Twitter, but in person, or at least one-on-one, in a private setting. I learned that I needed to be more open, and not immediately throw things away because my knee-jerk reaction was to disagree with them.
So, all that knowledge within me, four years later, graduated from college and married, the political campaigns for 2016 began. I began studying and watching. And my friends on Facebook began posting. At first it was just stuff like, "Man, I really don't like so-and-so, hope they don't win the nomination!", or "This person seems cool I kind of like them," or "Who is this guy and why is he here?" There were some cute memes. I didn't really get involved. I spent a long time working on being a nice person, and retaining that niceness and not getting involved in fights was very important to me. Then as things were starting to heat up and people have started to drop out of their races, everything has turned very mean. People's posts don't necessarily start out that way, but I see the comments beneath them. And they are not nice. They're not mean, per se, but they promote a spirit of contention that I actively avoid.
This is not to say that I am successful at avoiding contention. My husband can attest to several times we've conversed, and what started as me declaring my dislike for someone led to a rant declaring they are the Zodiac Killer. He doesn't like that, and he's usually been successful at calling me out when I get to that point, and I apologize. He doesn't like to feel attacked, and I don't like making him feel bad for asking me a simple question. But those are in person, when we're talking among ourselves.
I've worked hard to create a safe, happy environment for me and my friends (and my unborn child. Stress is bad for the baby, and nothing creates stress like online fights.), wherever I go. Whether it's online, or in my apartment, I want everyone to feel safe and welcome, so I don't post about polarizing things. Also I like having friends. I've never changed anyone's mind over Facebook, ever. And I know I never will, so I keep those discussions where they will bear fruit.
Anyway, tl;dr, I don't post about politics on Facebook because it's futile, always ends in fights, and I have made it a life goal to actively avoid the spirit of contention because I realize that it is one of my weaknesses. If you choose to post about such things, good for you, but please don't denigrate those of us who don't.
But gosh and golly sometimes I just get my dander up. I saw this post on my newsfeed that was basically like, "Oh, you don't like my political posts? I'm sorry I thought talking about the future of our country was important, you just go ahead and keep posting pictures of your meal."
Two of the five pictures I posted on Instagram in the past three weeks have been meals. Two more are selfies (showing off my beautiful hair), and the last one is a flower bouquet my husband got me.
Anyway, I haven't posted about politics on Facebook (as far as I can remember) this election season. And I don't really intend on doing so for the rest of the season, unless it's something like, "Go Vote!" (Because you need to vote!) This is somewhat out of sync with what I've done in previous elections, especially 2012.
During the 2012 election season, I got really into politics. It was the year when I finished high school and started college, and before I declared myself as a political science major. And, to be honest, it was a dark, hellish time in my life. I was mean. And not like, in the general sense. I permanently lost friends from that time because of the awful, hurtful way I treated them, all because we disagreed politically. And I saw their faces every day. I wasn't any nicer online. My parents started worrying about the state of my soul. Dad suggested I do an Arbinger seminar (a peacebuilding class) so that I could garner some love toward the rest of humanity.
Anyway, eventually the campaign ended and Obama won and I was happy and gloatful. Eventually, at some point, I realized I had been an ass (to put it mildly) and resolved to do better. I'm not proud of myself and how I acted. I did realize that I had a passion for politics and social sciences and became a political science major, where I slowly began to learn how to disagree like an adult with other people. Without denigrating their intelligence or life choices, and how to still be friends with those who disagreed with me on certain stances, and how to build understanding based on those things we agreed on. I was taught that if I couldn't understand how someone I disagreed with drew the conclusions they drew and why it was important to them, did I really understand my conclusions I drew and why it's important to me? I eventually did do an Arbinger seminar, and I learned, once again, that to dehumanize someone leads to treating them badly. I also realized that the best political conversations didn't happen on Facebook or Twitter, but in person, or at least one-on-one, in a private setting. I learned that I needed to be more open, and not immediately throw things away because my knee-jerk reaction was to disagree with them.
So, all that knowledge within me, four years later, graduated from college and married, the political campaigns for 2016 began. I began studying and watching. And my friends on Facebook began posting. At first it was just stuff like, "Man, I really don't like so-and-so, hope they don't win the nomination!", or "This person seems cool I kind of like them," or "Who is this guy and why is he here?" There were some cute memes. I didn't really get involved. I spent a long time working on being a nice person, and retaining that niceness and not getting involved in fights was very important to me. Then as things were starting to heat up and people have started to drop out of their races, everything has turned very mean. People's posts don't necessarily start out that way, but I see the comments beneath them. And they are not nice. They're not mean, per se, but they promote a spirit of contention that I actively avoid.
This is not to say that I am successful at avoiding contention. My husband can attest to several times we've conversed, and what started as me declaring my dislike for someone led to a rant declaring they are the Zodiac Killer. He doesn't like that, and he's usually been successful at calling me out when I get to that point, and I apologize. He doesn't like to feel attacked, and I don't like making him feel bad for asking me a simple question. But those are in person, when we're talking among ourselves.
I've worked hard to create a safe, happy environment for me and my friends (and my unborn child. Stress is bad for the baby, and nothing creates stress like online fights.), wherever I go. Whether it's online, or in my apartment, I want everyone to feel safe and welcome, so I don't post about polarizing things. Also I like having friends. I've never changed anyone's mind over Facebook, ever. And I know I never will, so I keep those discussions where they will bear fruit.
Anyway, tl;dr, I don't post about politics on Facebook because it's futile, always ends in fights, and I have made it a life goal to actively avoid the spirit of contention because I realize that it is one of my weaknesses. If you choose to post about such things, good for you, but please don't denigrate those of us who don't.
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