The leap we need to take
I got blocked by a school friend today … on Facebook. I’m 46 years old. The move takes me back to the fickleness of my youth and is also a tale for our times.
The subject: A man (IKR!). A significant character, who is known to divide the room. He would be delighted that it’s about him. I am less so.
This friend and I have had different views for as long as our friendship, from music, fashion, the people we’re attracted to, the best places to live — you name it.
Surely after so much water has passed under the bridge, we could march through our different points of view on this man’s behaviour and still be friends?
It seems we can’t.
Her original post, where she shared her commitment and adoration for the Man, prompted me to check in with her to make sure that she hadn’t lost her senses completely. I thought I was careful to avoid judgement and offered my view … “are you aware that he has done x, y and z”.
She asked me to back up my opinion with evidence. I gave several examples. She deleted them and then blocked me.
We are no longer communicating; or rather being blocked communicates everything I need to know.
Or does it?
I respect that she doesn’t want me or anyone to persuade her about the Man who she says she adores. The single and stunning example to support her position did not fill me with confidence but I can see how she has become swept along by his storytelling.
Her actions mirror those of thousands of people who are taking an absolute approach to managing their relationships and interactions.
Our world is now as binary as the code this site (and others) operates on:
- agree with me or you’re wrong
- support me or I’ll cancel you
- be like me or get lost
- like everything about me otherwise you don’t accept me
- increase the number of my connections, but not conversations
We’re losing, or have lost the ability to disagree, debate, argue and exchange perspectives. It’s like we’re afraid to show the strength or fragility of the foundations on which our opinions stand.
Maybe we just don’t want to change.
As “project-humanity” goes, we’re free-falling far and fast.
