One of the “advantages” of technology is that you don’t have to put up with people or content that you don’t want to hear. You can just click the “ignore” button and it all seemingly goes away. You don’t have to deal with it, think about it or respond to it. Don’t like the email you got? Junk it. Don’t care to respond to that text…ignore it. Is someone trolling you online? Go some place else… When there are billions of options to choose from you can pretty much find your niche of people in a little corner of the web who agree with you and where people pretty well get along. In life there aren’t billions of options…instead, people are placed in our lives and we have to deal with them. Some are so graceful and easy and others are a lot more difficult, even mean sometimes. You can’t ignore them. You can’t blog them. You can’t push a button and make them go away. The internet is not the best resource for growing your patience, learning to put up with people you disagree with or a great classroom for being kind. The real world gives us plenty of opportunities to grow in those areas if we are willing to engage people, even those we disagree with, in kind and loving conversation.
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Matt Dabbs
June 6, 2023
2 Responses
Spam? Have you found the silver bullet that blocks all spam in all of its incarnations?
In my experience, internet has been one of the better resources for growing patience, learning to put up with people, and a classroom for being kind. In real-location physical environments, the type of topics that need to be addressed that would exercise these traits are never allowed to be spoken on.
As a case in point, I know (from experience) that I cannot go to any real-location church and expect to talk about religious topics, like love, peace, heaven, hell, the resurrection, or the kingdom of God. However, the internet does sometimes allow this type of opportunity, and then you will find plenty of chances to exercise your patience (if you were looking for a chance to practice?)
It seems to me that it is possible to isolate yourself in either medium, but an internet setting allows far more potential for seeking others out. Virtual people are real people too.
I get an extremely small amount of spam. I was basing the second statement on how unruly people get in social media and many forums. The internet/blogging has been a great source of growing my own patience but I have found that is not usually the case…the internet tends to magnify characteristics we already have.