Here is something that has been troubling me lately. People have opinions and express these. Which I fully support their right to do so. However, if I disagree with said opinion, they take, as we say in Belfast, "the nick."
Here is my opinion on that.
If you have an opinion, viewpoint or belief. Be prepared to back it up or defend it. If you want to share your opinion expect that others will disagree and exercise their right to express this. I have witnessed lately a lot of people state opinions, be unable to defend these opinions and therefore "take the nick."
I am full of opinions. They are mine and I am fully prepared for others to disagree. I love nothing more that a good debate and I will admit defeat if my opponent successfully refutes my argument. I generally try to see both sides of the argument and therefore am unlikely to "take the nick" if someone disagrees with me, as generally I don't care.
Recently, I have experienced, via the magical medium of social media, the loss of an online friendship. Someone, an educated woman in her 30's, took umbridge when I made an observation relating to an occupation a member of her family was in. Several, members of my family are in the same occupation and it was not a direct or indirect slight on anyone who may have this type of employment. I simply made an observation and made a comment that the behavior I witnessed was disappointing. This apparently was offensive and I was swiftly deleted. To be honest, the loss of this persons online presence is hardly going to cause me any sleepless nights. We had met only a handful of times through a mutual friend, and as the done thing these days, we "friended" each other. I had no feelings, on this girl at all. The only time I would even think of her was when some snippet of life related trivia popped up on my newsfeed. So why have I put so much thought into this seemingly irrelevant person?
As, I say. Opinions are like arseholes. We all have one and you have to be prepared to watch your own.
The reason why this seems to have bothered me so much is not the loss of this "friendship" but the lack of debate. Instead of defending her position, she deleted me, Ran from confrontation by throwing the word "offended" in. This seems to be on the rise. I have noted this phenomenon a lot recently. Freedom of speech impeded by the "offended" seems to be that this is a generation of lethargic and
I am full of opinions. They are mine and I am fully prepared for others to disagree. I love nothing more that a good debate and I will admit defeat if my opponent successfully refutes my argument. I generally try to see both sides of the argument and therefore am unlikely to "take the nick" if someone disagrees with me, as generally I don't care.
Recently, I have experienced, via the magical medium of social media, the loss of an online friendship. Someone, an educated woman in her 30's, took umbridge when I made an observation relating to an occupation a member of her family was in. Several, members of my family are in the same occupation and it was not a direct or indirect slight on anyone who may have this type of employment. I simply made an observation and made a comment that the behavior I witnessed was disappointing. This apparently was offensive and I was swiftly deleted. To be honest, the loss of this persons online presence is hardly going to cause me any sleepless nights. We had met only a handful of times through a mutual friend, and as the done thing these days, we "friended" each other. I had no feelings, on this girl at all. The only time I would even think of her was when some snippet of life related trivia popped up on my newsfeed. So why have I put so much thought into this seemingly irrelevant person?
As, I say. Opinions are like arseholes. We all have one and you have to be prepared to watch your own.
The reason why this seems to have bothered me so much is not the loss of this "friendship" but the lack of debate. Instead of defending her position, she deleted me, Ran from confrontation by throwing the word "offended" in. This seems to be on the rise. I have noted this phenomenon a lot recently. Freedom of speech impeded by the "offended" seems to be that this is a generation of lethargic and
Lazy thinkers. I note this phenomenon particularly amongst the devoutly religious. It is completely out of order to criticise their belief system yet par for the course that a belief I hold dear, LGBT equality rights for exanple, can be brushed aside and openly criticised. Again when views are challenged. The automatic go to is "offensive" contrary to belief systems etc.
I am certainly not the first to blog about this particular phenomenon and neither will I have explored this topic in the most articulate way. It is just something I have been musing on lately.
I have a feeling even this blog will cause offense and probably the loss of more precious online friendships, however in the interests of being brave. I don't care. I recently turned 30 & the freedom this affords is amazing. Gone is the self doubt or self conciousness of my 20's.
Offense is offense, but back up your argument. Who knows. Maybe you could teach me something.
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