Shooting from the hip today

I have some blog posts that are mostly ready to go. I have some blog posts that I wrote passionately. However, today I’m not publishing any of those, because I don't think the posts are ready, and neither am I. Self-editorialization. That’s what this post is about.

I think people have forgotten to self-editorialize. I think the extreme opposite is true as well: people have forgotten to speak up. While I don’t like extremism, there’s a middle ground I think we all should aim for when sharing what we think.

I’ve posted several times that my big accomplishment for the day, when it comes to being on Bluesky, is deleting posts and replies that I had drafted. What purpose would they serve by sending them? If the only purpose they serve is to get something out of my head and out into the world, picking a medium is very important. Yes, some thoughts in your head need to get out, but they do not need to get out to the world. You need to write them down. Or dictate them, and you need to hold them close to yourself. In other words, you don’t need to put all your business out there.

Let’s talk about the opposite: being a passive viewer, fading into the background. That’s OK for the most part, but you should also speak up.

I often profess that likes are free and people put too much value on them, but I think the real magic is the reply. If somebody says something that you agree with and that resonates with you, a like and a reply, a simple one-word “agree”, is good. Make your opinion on things known. If you can’t agree or disagree because you feel like there’s a nuanced take you have, that’s fine. You don’t have to post that, or if you do want to post that, explain yourself a bit. Your perspective and nuance are important, but what I’m really shining a light om, let’s just say social media is a metaphor for something else 😉, is being passive. Not getting involved is the death of community.

I’ve seen Blacksky algorithms do a lot of amazing things and serve their community, but the People’s Assembly is my favorite part.

One: As a community, We need to talk about this. We need your feedback. That is crazy powerful, too. All feedback is accepted. Occasionally it’s not on topic; occasionally a discussion needs to happen; occasionally education needs to occur. But without the safety of that community, you can’t have the freedom to say those things. That is what’s powerful about People’s Assembly to me.

That is what I want to see more of in social media. That is both things at the same time. Think about what you’re going to say before you say it, but don’t overthink what you think about something. Be sure to speak up.

I had a friend who was notorious for saying, “Well, I don’t vote so I don’t have an opinion,” and it always infuriated me, because everybody’s got an opinion. Even if it’s not as fully formed as someone else’s, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a feeling. And if you don’t have a feeling, and you don’t feel like you have a say, and you don’t act, you’re just reinforcing that cycle. That needs to stop.

This isn’t a call for people to vote more. It should be, though. 😉 This is a call for people to interact more. This is a call for people to build community, a call for people to share thoughts and feelings—but think about it before you put it out there. Don’t overthink it, and be sure to chime in. Both things can be true.

You have worth. You have value. You probably have an opinion; you have thoughts. Find those you can confide in, share them, and work through them. Know what you can say out loud and what you need to write down. But all in all, get out there, build community, and interact with one another. Do not be silent. Do not drown other people out. Work to always find that middle ground.