Let's stop making politics personal
Are you seeing things that trouble you? Strong opinions about politics and issues that matter seem to be everywhere. It’s understandable, as people are passionate about what's happening around them. They want to have their say, and are hopefully driven by a desire to do good and confront what they see is wrong.
I keep seeing things that cross the line though. People making serious allegations, attacking others or claiming that alarming things are about to happen. It often becomes personal, divisive and highly subjective. Reality also seems to get lost along the way.
I’m sure I’m not alone. The worst thing is, this isn’t just restricted to the media as you’ll probably see something unsettling from someone you know online.
Two things motivated me to write this. Firstly, I think there are a lot of people who are afraid to speak out now, fearing personal attacks and frivolous allegations. These are the voices that probably need to be heard though.
Secondly, it’s become clear that a lot of people are scared and very worried about the future. I think it’s reasonable to assume that they are taking a lot of these messages at face value.
To be very clear, I’m not writing this to tell you what to do, take sides or join any arguments. I’m writing this to simply encourage you to think for a moment before you post anything online. I’d also like to offer some advice.
Consider your message
Firstly, I’d strongly recommend drafting and editing anything you write online. Even if it’s just a social media post. It’s so easy to say something you’ll regret in the heat of the moment.
I think it also helps to work out who your message is for, and what you want to achieve. The first question you should probably ask is, am I reacting to something someone has said? This should then lead to another important question. If it’s someone I know, should I be talking to them instead?
I’d then think about how your message is likely to be received. Could anyone interpret it as being about them? What are you suggesting they do after reading it and how do you want them to feel? More importantly, could anyone misinterpret your message?
Finally, can you ensure any information you’re reacting to or passing on is accurate? Have you checked everything?
Think carefully about any accusations you make
I see so many messages suggesting people are racist or intolerant without any justification. They often seem to be based purely on assumptions and perceived support for a person, party or cause.
As well as being unnecessary and insulting, they could cause a lot of harm.
Surely we need to back up any claims like this with strong evidence and specific examples. As you’re probably well aware, there are people out there saying things and making threats that have no place in a democracy. Things that can be easily evidenced. Things that need to be challenged. I honestly believe that the type of frivolous claims I’ve described are likely to normalise these people.
The same thing goes for constantly making comparisons to some of the worst people in history. Anything like this surely needs to be justified. Again, frivolously branding anyone who disagrees with you as ‘far right’ or ‘extreme left’ will just empower both of these groups. We can’t let that happen.
Going back to how you should consider your message, you should think about how any statements like this could be interpreted by others. Despite your intentions, you could be perceived as being intolerant and uninformed. Someone could easily see themselves being unfairly targeted by your accusations.
They could easily stop listening to you, despite what you’re saying.
Finally, I think it can be assumed that these type of posts are written to condemn, punish or isolate. If that happens, how can we reach a consensus? How can we change anyones mind?
Act with integrity
I can understand why someone would want to challenge perceived false narratives, disrespectful behaviour and unnecessary scaremongering. I’ll never understand though how countering them with their own false narratives, disrespectful behaviour and unnecessary scaremongering is ever acceptable.
Let’s all work to set an example. Be people others want to have discussions with.
While we’re likely to feel comfortable with people who appear to share our views, we should be careful about taking sides. I’d carefully consider whether you’re overlooking important points because it supports your argument, or you don’t like the person who presented them. More importantly, I think we should condemn things that are wrong regardless of who has said them.
How many times have you seen or heard someone loudly condemn what the ‘other side’ are doing, but appear to remain silent when those who share their views appear to do the same thing. I would just encourage people to challenge what’s wrong regardless of who is behind it.
In addition to this advice, I’d like to share an important example that has shaped the way I think.
I remember hearing how Dr Martin Luther King would challenge the people around him to find something nice to say about the people who opposed them. The people they would need to meet and negotiate with. That has always stuck with me.
I honestly believe that the way to effectively resolve conflict is fairly simple. We need to understand the other persons position, show respect and be prepared to change our mind. History has shown us what can happen when we do this.
To be clear, understanding someone’s position is very different from agreeing with it. Showing respect is very different from tolerating bad behaviour and changing our minds doesn’t mean we abandon what we stand for.
I’ll leave it to you now to think about all of this. Work out where you are.
Finally, I’d also encourage you to think about the impact this is having on people’s mental health and wellbeing. It’s surely not good for any of us. We can do a lot better.