Mark Twain recounts an interesting little sidebar story about a friend of his. This friend was a preacher and was on his way to church when he was handed a note. The note said that General Sickles, who had been this man’s mentor and great friend, had passed away (this turned out to be false). The preacher was shaken, but of course he had to continue on. His sermon for the day was on the “begats.” Moses begat so and so who begat so and so. Given his state of mind, the preacher was not able to hold his voice steady and occasionally tears rolled down his cheeks. Of course, the congregation had no idea what the preacher had just learned. To them, it was an absolute mystery why this man, who could maintain a straight and even tone when giving much more emotional sermons, was so distraught over the darned “begats.”
From a different perspective, of course, the preacher’s behavior makes all the sense in the world.
Perspective in the Social Media World
I had a really interesting exchange with Deep Soni after I wrote my letter to the a-listers last week. Deep questioned me. “Who are the a-listers? Why give in to that kind of categorization?” From Deep’s perspective, there is no such thing as an a-lister in the online world, and there shouldn’t be. Another person noted that to someone just starting, lots of people can seem like “a-listers.” It was these conversations that made me realize how much we all need to try to see issues from perspectives apart from our own. Yes, even in the online world, where all of the sites ask us what we are doing and what we are thinking about.
The benefits of studying other perspectives
Let’s go back to the conversation about so-called “a-listers.” If you just go by your own perspective on this term, you will probably participate in social media in certain ways and let the presence of that elite crowd affect you – or not. However, let’s say we absorb another person’s perspective. Maybe their perspective is that an “a-lister” is anyone who helps out someone else. That could impact how you act online, couldn’t it? Or let’s say that another person suggests that a-listers are people who have been around for x number of years. That could also have an impact on how you think about things, right?
Another nice thing about engaging with perspectives beyond our own is that we can extrapolate how our words may impact other people. Maybe religion is silly from your perspective, so making fun of it or treating it lightly doesn’t really bother you. However, maybe there’s another person out there who feels like they are driftwood on the ocean of life, and they feel like religion is their only anchor. From their perspective, your words are making light of something they feel is a life saver. You just never know, do you?
Putting things in perspective
Perspective also needs to become more prevalent online when it comes to people keeping the online world in perspective. It’s easy – very easy – to let happenings in the online world engulf you. We become so enmeshed in peoples’ lives, so obsessed with things like followers and comments, that we can quickly lose perspective on things that really matter. In the end, Social Media platforms are tools and are ways of networking with people. In comparison to things happening in the world at large, most events in the online world are laughably manageable.
Of course, all of this is just my perspective. What’s yours?
Image by Chris Cockram. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/coolchrisc
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Margie, once again you hit this out of the ballpark! I often feel like a nobody online b/c I don’t get X RTs or DMs aren’t returned or emails go unanswered. But it is perspective. Some amazing people don’t have a million followers. And there are jerks who do. There are amazing and wonderful people who do reply and engage. Not because it will increase their ______________ index/score, but because they genuinely love engaging with people.
Thank you, Margie, for helping me to put things back into perspective for myself.
Sara
Numbers really do have to be shoved to the side in the online world. The analogy of a marathon versus a dash works well for some folks. In a marathon, your primary goal is beating your own time, not all of those super fast people who have been training for 27 years. Keep your eyes straight ahead and don’t let ’em wander to what other folks are doing. We’re in this alone all together 🙂
Sara couldn’t have said it better. This is a very excellent post. I am now going to run around twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook to share it 🙂
Yep, sometimes I think I’m beginning to lose my perspective. These days, it’s becoming all about getting that domain, writing that post, getting a writer, finding a guest poster, promoting on facebook, linked in, twitter and such.
I can’t help it, I need to blog my head off. Maybe someday when I die, I could leave the kids with a regular adsense income or something LOL
Thanks Margie, this is wonderful.
Hmm, interesting comment, Danny. You’re right, of course. For some people, there is a more clear gathering of the online world and the world beyond. But even in that case, are online squabbles really worth your time? Especially not in that kind of case. Your perspective is altered by your own goals and objectives. So it is with us all. Glad you liked the post 🙂
Margie they are what we make them.
People like you and the blog library are what would be my A-influencers.
The designated A-Lister don’t win place or show that much in influencing me.
Thanks Billy
Very kind of you, sir. Thank you! 🙂
Quite love the perspective. It’s nice when someone else lends us their opera glasses, isn’t it? 🙂
Hi Margie
I found your blog today and, although on vacation in Paris, am thoroughly engaged in your posts. I am new to blogging and still trying to find my feet so your thoughts are like diamonds that I am collecting. Thanks for the thoughts on perspective … It seems to me that the online world is similar to reality we just find it difficult to apply the same common sense.
Kim
Wow, you’re reading my blogs instead of exploring Paris? I’m touched and honored but get out there! 🙂
Most of the advice that is given out in the world of social media works for everyday life, too. It’s all about dealing with yourself and dealing with other folks. Sometimes you do it via a box & wires and sometimes you do it face to face 🙂