In discussions look toward the reality without being self-opinionated. Let no one assert and insist upon his own mere opinion; nay, rather, let each investigate the reality with the greatest love and fellowship. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Lights of Guidance, p. 177, #581)
Has COVID polarized people’s opinions and increased the number of “trolls” on social media or am I just noticing them now? Perhaps I’m naïve but when I read people’s comments on Facebook (my first mistake), I believe that they are sharing their opinions, and I can accept them as such, even when they are diametrically opposed to mine. Recently however, I’ve learned that some people (referred to as trolls): post things to disrupt or to gain attention; confine their comments to primitive, profane, off-topic observations; spout gibberish in the hopes that they’ll either bore or confuse those with whom they disagree and/or seek refuge in condescending remarks that scorn their critics while continuing to respond to them and put them down. I’m absolutely baffled by this behavior! Apparently they do it for their own amusement, or to push a specific agenda.
As Baha’is, we now know that our job in any discussion is to:
- look toward the reality without being self-opinionated
- don’t assert and insist upon your own opinion
- investigate reality with the greatest love and fellowship
As we’re learning to do these things, we must also train the people around us. We can do this by not replying or attempting to engage in debate with those not willing to behave this way, even on (or especially on) Baha’i forums. By ignoring a troll completely, they will likely become frustrated and go somewhere else. Understanding that not everyone is genuinely trying to find truth in sharing their opinions; and knowing I don’t have to convince them of anything and just leave them to God, lowers my anxiety.
Knowing that my job is to investigate reality with the greatest love and fellowship I am grateful!
What jumped out for you as you read today’s meditation? I’d love it if you would share so we can all expand our knowledge of the Writings!
If you liked this meditation, you might also like my book Learning How to Consult Effectively
The problem with the term “trolls” is that it’s subjective. Anyone can call anyone a “troll”. There is the added complication that not everyone is online for the same purpose. Something I’ve noticed is a lot of people want Facebook to be a serious conversation or tool for getting answers. However other people just want to have a laugh and make friends. There is the danger of branding people who have different “purposes” in mind as trolls even when they aren’t.
Yes, that makes sense David. The term “troll” was new to me and I was just trying to make sense of it.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Sifting through the load of misinformation on Facebook and other social media outlets is tricky and time consuming. To your point, ignoring the Trolls is the best way of dealing with them. My overall strategy is to minimize my Facebook activity to zero. I use other reliable media outlets as my information sources and most often reviewing several of them before forming an opinion has helped me.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your strategies with us Siamak!