Ignore people who provoke controversy without solutions

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Ignore people who provoke controversy without solutions.

Often on LinkedIn, I see people who say outrageous things that are designed to rage people into responding. I deal with them just like clickbait. It doesn’t matter what people say if they don’t have the power to change policy.

Let people say whatever BS they want to believe, and their little echo chamber repeat it. It just distorts their own worldview and causes their own destruction. The data is clear when people don’t follow the science. They die. It is sad really. We as a nation fought people who suppressed information, and now we want to suppress information ourselves. For what reason? Morality? Protecting the children?

People talk about freedom, but they rarely talk about responsibilities. They talk about rights, but they rarely talk about duties. For every freedom, we also have a responsibility. We know that we can’t shout “Fire” in a crowded theatre, yet plenty of people are getting rich doing just that. They are going against science and reality, just to stir people into hate and action. When we pay attention to those voices, we encourage that behavior.

If you have ever babysat children you know that often children act out because of some internal need that they don’t know how to deal with. We should treat people who act out in the same way. We should question why they are acting out and saying things that do not correspond to reality. Gently ask people if there is something they are dealing with that they need help with. Try to ignore the BS/baiting that comes out of them. People do things that work for them, and when BS stops being profitable they will change their tune.

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The easy comment, the emotionally seductive feeling, and simple black-and-white thinking don’t help anyone. Don’t do it, and don’t listen to those who would rather stir the pot, than actually concretely help someone.