When I got my very first Social Media account, which happened when Social Media was just web 2.0, I was really excited about the opportunity to exchange all types of ideas with my friends. My account was a Livejournal blog, and I figured, “Hey, I’ll post about things I’m interested in and like discussing, people will discuss with me, and all of my far-flung friends will be sitting in the same room.”
Two topics that I find endlessly intriguing are religion and politics. This might be a bit of a shock as I have discussed neither here and have only hinted at them via my various other public accounts. When I first started posting to Livejournal, I had no restraints, so I posted all kinds of opinions, questions, frustrations, etc. And my friends didn’t participate much. I was shocked. I was frustrated. What was going on?
Some people said that they didn’t like voicing their opinions because they felt people thought their opinions were dumb. Others said that discussing such things always leads to nasty fights or “LJ Drama” as we called it back then.
Since most of my Social Media activity now is for business, I have taken that hesitation of my friends to heart. As I see some folks pumping out their political opinions, I can see the wisdom in refraining from delving into these areas. Sometimes people say things that rub me the wrong way, but I don’t feel comfortable debating the issue.
My question for you is: Is this a healthy environment? People are making a big deal out of how networked our world is. We can do business with people across and around the globe now. Don’t different religious or political backgrounds come with that as a packaged deal? Don’t we have an opportunity here to share and learn and educate in ways we never could before? The word “yes” echoes in my head, and yet the sad truth echoes as well. If you don’t like my political leanings, you might be completely turned off to the concept of doing business with me. If you don’t like my thoughts on religion, the same result could occur. All we have as introduction are words on a flashing screen. Words are powerful. Words verbalizing religious or political views are like nuclear weapons.
What are your thoughts on this issue? I know that the ladies at Outspoken Media would say that this is the exact kind of cowardice they are preaching against. Do you censor yourself? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your opinions.
Image by Aaron Murphy. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/a51media
"Is this a healthy environment?"Yes and no. 🙂 Yes, because it creates boundaries between your professional and personal life. Think "insulation".There was a Chinese quote on that, but I am getting absent minded-sorry. :/No, because your personal life figures greatly in your professional life.–I'm going to be bold and hope that I won't offend your beliefs now:Religion is, has been and will be a factor in our lives – regardless of what we think about it. The problem with that is that there are too many of them and they often come into conflict with one another!We are automatically branded when we take a stand – even if you don't subscribe to a particular religion.It's inevitable to be perceived by others and that's why people avoid showing their beliefs as much as they can. My short answer: Go with your goals. How would you like to be perceived? Who are your professional acquaintances? Clients? prospective clients? Who would you like to do business with?How would you like them to see you?–People tend to do business with people they share values (moral, political, etc) with, unless it is absolutely necessary that they do so otherwise.The same goes with politics. —
I don't post my political views but that doesn't keep people from making assumptions about what my political views are. Some guess real wrong and hold conversations with me as though we are on the same side of the fence based simply on ethnicity. Or others who are familiar with my "Sunday job" assume I my views are bent in another direction.So even if I don't speak on political issues; there are numbers and Gallup polls that say more than likely I'm this and not that. People I do business with may assume the same as well. I can't help that. I simply choose to keep my politics out of public view. Now as for religion, that's just out there for everybody to see…there's no hiding that part of me and I'm cool with that. I discuss my faith at length on my blog…but then it's a personal blog too…a ministry tool. I'm supposed to talk about matters of faith.In depth, open discussions on sex and politics? Never from this kid. Religion or matters of faith? Definitely.
You both make really good points. Some companies brand themselves as a "faith-based organization." For them, weaving their faith into their business is a matter of course. Does that potentially lose them some opportunities? Probably. But then they know that the people who do work with them are either of the same mind or don't let religion get in the way.I didn't even mention sex…I'm getting enough spam comments as it is :)Thank you both for your comments!
Great post Margie – I have the same hesitations. And it can be summed up in two words “demonized” and “damned”. Most of the time, a discussion of politics is simply not possible because because the two major parties have done such a good job of demonizing one another. To open your mouth on an issue means that one side or the other will demonize you or believe that you believe (based on that one lone issue) in all the party positions. And it leads to drawing erroneous conclusions and knee jerk judgments. I’d love to have a political discussion with people of differing views if it could be done in inflammatory comment-free zone. But that’s (sadly) rare to find.
Same thing with religion. I am curious and would love to learn more about various religions and the personal appeal they have with each believer – but you’ll always get someone cannon-balling into the pool and condemning people for their beliefs.
Which brings us to Follow Friday and the great divide there… 😉
Seriously, it’s really sad that we can’t talk about these topics the way we could discuss books, college majors, etc.
For better or worse, I’m inclined to choose my words carefully and consider the downrange effects of an opinion carelessly fired. Your comparison of our views to a nuclear weapon is spot on and like the nuke, once delivered, they cannot be recalled. I’ve traditionally compared them to bullets from a gun. The delivery of a nuclear weapon traditionally occurs after multiple layers of oversight and consideration have been passed in a predetermined order. Not so much with bullets, hence my use of that analogy. The circumvention of responsibility and oversight seems more apropos to me.
Speaking one’s truth is important and something we should all strive for, but doing so without filtering is not behavior I choose to display. The Johari window indicates there’s a substantial portion of our psyches that remain a mystery to us. Politics and religion seem to be two common issues that minimize our awareness of that through the passion they inspire.
Margie, I agree with you. I have always struggled with this subject, not just in social media but in any venue business or personal. I tend to maintain as much neutrality as possible because I don’t want to lose what otherwise would be a great business or personal relationship over who I voted for in the last election. I don’t consider it “censoring myself” so much as being prudent. The sad truth is that it shouldn’t matter who I voted for in the last election, or any other choices that I have made or will make with my life. But people have become so polarized – it’s very difficult to find common ground, or tolerance for that matter.
The problem isn’t that we can endlessly discuss now, that every small piece of information is debated to the nth degree. The problem is that there are so few people willing to change their minds, so few willing to admit that they’re wrong, that discussing hot button topics is an exercise in futility and frustration.