By If you ever want to be attacked by a hundred vipers, post something morally debatable on social media and watch the biting commence.
A search for understanding is almost extinct. A desire to connect, in differing views, is obsolete. The drive to shame…in full force!
As old as time, people have held opposing views. This is neither evil nor unexpected. Each person thinks and processes information differently so we will always come to separate and many times differing views. How we respond to differing views is very important and detrimental to us all.
Regardless of how someone believes or acts, respect should be our first response.
I would even apply this to our children. There are times when our kiddos don’t listen to instruction, ignore requests, and even at times disobey. Rather than shame them or embarrass them, we should guide them. Try to understand their perspective, communicate why they are being corrected, and then correct their behavior. This learning will remain long term.
When it comes to day to day interaction, it isn’t our role to correct anyone. It is our role to try and understand, communicate our thoughts and ideas, but at the end of the day we can’t change anyone. Shaming someone for thinking differently is not only ridiculous, but it works against any real change or progression.
I have seen, on the regular, too many posts shared that are passive aggressive but still shaming. This is like throwing a stone at someone hoping they will know it’s for them, catch it, and then change. If you had a stone thrown at you would you attempt to catch it and then consider it valuable? No. You would dodge the stone and possibly grab your own stone to throw back. No one reads one of these posts and says, “Wow. That post makes me want to be a better person.” But rather, “I don’t want to be anything like that.”
Do you desire to see change? Do you have hope that people can make good choices when given the opportunity? Me too! So rather than shaming differences, why don’t we share information in kindness? Build relationships with people not like us and learn their thoughts? Take those thoughts and process them through your own reality and have a respectful conversation that encourages and motivates. You might even learn something.
I won’t play the shame game. I have hope that those who do, would reconsider and try to make meaningful connections that lead to change. Change of hearts and thoughts.
