If you spend enough time on social media, it is impossible to escape unscathed. Sooner or later (usually sooner!), someone will attack you for your opinion, beliefs, or expressions. It’s just part of the dance.
And it is always intriguing to witness how others react when they are under fire. Human nature tends to dictate an eye-for-an-eye response. This leads to some epic, and very public, spats, turning social media into a global battlefield. But not all online grenades have to escalate to mutually assured destruction. And one exchange, in particular, illustrated this point.
Michael Hyatt is a respected author, podcaster, blogger, and speaker who has influenced thousands of writers (including me) to launch platforms to express their message. He is a non-controversial, non-confrontational and generally affable business leader. But after one of his blog posts, a reader went on the offensive, barraging him with ad hominem attacks and baiting him into a retaliatory response. It didn’t happen.
Michael responded with a simple but elegant one-liner.
“I’m not for everyone.”
And this ended the discourse.
It was a stark reminder that we don’t always have to pour fuel on the fire. If we want to stay resilient, we have to be comfortable in our own skin. And we have to recognize that we aren’t going to please everyone ALL the time.
Don’t Let the Turkeys Get You Down
This principle goes far beyond social media. Perhaps we get lambasted during a business meeting. Perhaps it happens while serving on a voluntary board. Perhaps it happens in a classroom or social setting. If we boldly express our opinions, sooner or later, we will face criticism. We will face ridicule. We will suffer inglorious commentary. How will we react when the white-hot spotlight of judgment ominously swings toward us?
It is natural to get our back up and our claws out at the slightest criticism. It is tempting to lose sight of our original point and go on the offensive. But that rarely serves the larger purpose. We need to stay focused on our message. The world needs to hear our unique opinions. And as long as we share our authentic point of view, nothing should derail that expression.
We can still defend our ideals. We can still stand up for ourselves. But we need to channel our energy and enthusiasm inward. We need to stay laser-focused on our mission. This is not just about being civil. Anything that distracts us from our goal is counter-productive. If we continuously get defensive and blast our critics, we lose our own passion. We lose our own will and energy. And we lose a little bit of ourselves in the process.
Stay in the Arena
Sometimes, the criticism is justified and we should never be above feedback. Perhaps we make a public mistake. Perhaps we express ideas that are not well informed. Perhaps we are inadvertently insensitive. We have to recognize that we are not infallible. Quite the opposite. Self-awareness and honest introspection are key assets that will build our confidence and fuel our resilience.
But we also have to recognize that we are the ones in the arena. Anyone who has dared boldly and operated without a safety net will, at some point, face a firing squad of senseless criticism. We can’t let these naysayers steal our energy and crush our dreams. This world is a better place with our ideas in it.
We need to stay focused on our message. We need to keep delivering value to our little corner of the world. We can’t let the turkeys get us down.
Our views and our insights make a difference. But they are not for everyone. And that is okay.