A coworker is at the entrance of my cube, talking to me about politics. I hate politics, I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to think about it, and try to avoid them at all costs. I don’t watch the news, I don’t read news sites, I actively do not pay attention to any of that. I get more than enough from my facebook feed, thanks, and I have a policy even there of, “if your last five posts were all political, welcome to the Ignore List.”
Willful ignorance for the win, I guess? There’s that saying, “if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention” and it’s true, but some of us have better things to do than be outraged all the damn time. I certainly have OPINIONS about a lot of things, don’t get me wrong, but seriously shut up. You’re not saving the world with your opinions on gun control or abortion or whatever the flavor of the month at 31 Outrages is. Terrible Situation is Terrible, but sitting in your office writing vitriolic screeds and stressing about it without DOING anything about it solves NOTHING.
Ranting in your facebook does one of two things: Alienate People Who Don’t Agree With You, or Preach To The Choir. You’re not changing anyone’s minds or calling anyone to action. You’re just yelling about TERRIBLE THING with no specific call to action and no change as result, and it is actively depressing/infuriating/frustrating to read this over and over and over. I don’t give a SHIT about an article about a protest or a war or a new policy or whatever, facebook is where I go to find out how the fuck you are doing. Where you AT the protest where the cops tear-gassed the protesters? No? Then WHY ARE YOU POSTING THIS. Are you seriously expecting to sway someone’s vote with your clever little infographic about gun control? Seriously? HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHA oh man. That’s a good one. Ok but really you know you’re not, right? And you DID run that article through Snopes or FactCheck or PolitiFact or Hoax-Slayer or something before posting it, right? And not just shared it because it agreed with you before making sure it was true? No? Sigh. Okay. Yeah. This is why we can’t have nice things, people. Check your facts or better yet, just don’t post that. Post pictures of your cats. That’s important. That actually tells me about your life. I want to know how your breakfast was, not about some philandering politician or your stance on abortion or some insipid inspirational wabbajabba picture of a sunset with a misattributed quote.
I don’t give a shit about your politics, I often like you in SPITE of them.
There was a point to this. …Where was I.
Oh right. Coworker. Cube. He’s talking about the Republican party and the possibility of Trump as president and blah blah blah, and I find myself cheerfully saying, “You know sometimes, I’m GRATEFUL that I’m checking out early so I don’t have to DEAL with this shit.”
And he gets quiet.
And that is the end of THAT conversation.
I win.
YES! Everything you said!!!
I have pushed “IGNORE” on several FB “friends” who live their entire lives on a soap box. It’s either about anti-vax or anti-circumcision or politics or breast-feeding Nazi’s or Treyvon Martin or gun control or a dozen other rants with absolutely zero value. There isn’t some valid petition or a call to donate for a worthwhile cause.
No, it’s just a missive about something they feel passionately about and if you agree with them, great (and it’s really of no value to you) and if you don’t agree, it just rubs you wrong.
WTF is the purpose of this crap?! When I got an email for youcaring funding for someone in the office who was dealing with a serious medical challenge, it was helpful. I clicked, read and donated. There was no rant, no mean barbs – just a request to toss a few bucks towards the barrage of co-pay dollars someone was dealing with during an exceptionally hard time. After that, pics of your kids, cat videos, hysterically funny videos – all pretty cool with me.