Can you believe the nerve of that person? How can they even think they are anywhere near correct about their opinion, when they post something THAT radical on Facebook? Clearly, this is a good example of how the media corrupts minds to fulfill an agenda. No sane person rooted in the same reality in which you live would EVER think something like that was honestly a good thing to do. It’s pure evil, that’s what it is.
So, what should you do? Here are the only three actions you must take to deal with these kinds of posts, followed by the number one thing you should NEVER do.
#1 – Ignore It
If you are the kind of person who can look past the terrible things someone says and still see the good in them, then you should do that whenever possible. Maybe you are the kind of person who knows that each individual is a product of the things with which they surround themselves, and if that’s the case then you should just continue to do that in this situation.
After all, many of the opinions that people have when they share them frequently on Facebook are pretty much verbatim from some other source. For many people, it’s simple stimulus and response – they see something like a news headline that makes them angry, and they are quick to share the entire article to everyone they can.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they are your enemy or are evil, just because they had a strong response against something that was likely written to give them that exact reaction. Unless it’s too much, too often, maybe just ignore them for a while, and celebrate with them when they post something that brings you joy – giving them positive reinforcement for the nice things they post is about the best thing you can do to make them focus on that.
#2 – Un-Follow Them
If the person who posted that article has made a bad habit of it, and it seems like all they ever do is post negative things that make you stressed out, then maybe you don’t need to know what Uncle Barry has to say on a daily basis. Maybe you can just let him live his life while you live yours?
After all, there are enough things in life to stress out about outside of politics, society and climate change. You are one person, and you should realize at some point there’s a microcosm in which you live where you have an undeniably higher role in the outcome. Family matters, mental and physical health, neighborhood organizations, church groups, your job, your finances, your retirement and your relationship with your significant other are all things over which you have a real say in them.
When your concerns are more often with the macrocosm, the things you don’t have nearly as much influence over like politics and society, then you are doomed to enter a cycle of stress and anger. If that person posts one too many posts you don’t like and it’s too hard to still see the good in them, then just un-follow them. I recommend you try to understand their view point, first, but if it’s just too much, it’s time to take them off of your feed.
#3 – Take a Break from (or Quit) Facebook
If you tried to ignore the posts without success, and it seems like there is no end to the negativity from all the other people who you haven’t un-followed yet, then maybe you don’t need Facebook in your life?
The argument has been made a million times, and the science backs it up. People who quit Facebook typically see a major upshift in their mental health when they pull the plug.
Maybe you should try it, too? You can de-activate the account without deleting and losing everything, so why not try that out first? If you find in a year’s time you never want it back, then go ahead and delete it permanently at that point. Especially around election years, you might really want to just go ahead and opt for this one. Maybe one day people will start talking about dress colors again, and you can rejoin at that time?
What to NEVER DO: Respond to their Post
Just don’t. There is no winning. You will not convince them. You will absolutely be met with other people who will spout the same regurgitated line from whatever source they consume. You will make people angry, or they will just delete the comment. There is no winning a Facebook flame war. Just don’t.
