Thread by @StewartalsopIII

One of my friends, who was also a founder in tech world where the in-group petty tyrants enforce ideological consistency, used to make really controversial posts on Facebook. The comments would be pure hatred. I didn't realize it until a year later that he just never read them.

To those of us who are caught up in social perception yet also recognize that its unwise to outsource our happiness to the fickle and untrustworthy herd mentality, it doesn't even occur that not every comment needs to be responded to. Actually, the vast majority don't need to be.

Its the same way now when I post about the 'Rona there when I need more space than Twitter provides to dissect the insanity of our current era. Most of my facebook friends are in the tech world and they pounce on the posts, demanding ideological fealty to Scientism.

So I've just stopped responding to most of the posts. People I have never talked to and don't really know how I connected come out of the woodwork to tell me how wrong I am and how horrible I am as a person to hold such heretical questions in my mind.

Its funny because when I examine my own behavior when seeing someone else's post that upsets me based on what I think is accurate, I usually hold my tongue. I've learned that private messages are way better if I actually want to influence, but even then I just let opinions be.

But then I have these petty tyrants coming out of the woodwork that will stop at nothing, will brook no questioning of the party line in their pursuit of stamping out the fear that exists inside of them but is to scary to look at. Ignoring really is the kind way to go I think.