I spent too much time on Facebook today, and now I am in the dark place. (aka: "People suck. The world is horrible. Why try? Etc.") It was an accident. I didn't mean to. I got sucked into a debate about current politics. Ugh. I'm usually pretty good about staying out of those kinds of messes, but once in a while I get sucked into the vortex of asynchronous, opinionated, unproductive, Web 2.0 debate.
So, for all of us out there who would like to be able to avoid the dark place more frequently, here are some tips for how to do so:
1) Strictly limit daily time on Facebook and the like. This is the simplest and surest safeguard of all. In my opinion, 30 minutes should be the max.
2) Resist the urge to have the last word. We like to be right. It is a universal human condition. If you find yourself getting sucked into a debate that is going nowhere, acknowledge the desire to feel right and then let it go--just walk away from the "conversation." You're not likely to convince them and they aren't likely to convince you, and a whole lot of time and energy (and sanity) will be wasted.
3) Skip over the posts that you know will be triggers for you. Think of yourself like a fish, and those triggering posts like bait on a hook. Be a smart fish.
Hope this helps you. (And hope it helps me! 😆)
