WHY SENSITIVE PEOPLE NEED TO SPEAK UP IN SOCIAL MEDIA RULED BY RUDE DIMWITS

Yesterday a kind sensitive soul in my Wonderfully Weird female entrepreneurs Facebook group wrote:
“How do you respond to discussions about refugees, climate change, racism, hateful behaviour towards others? I see so much hate, rage, ignorance and intolerance, I worry about being part of the silent majority that enables all this to become the new norm. I believe I need to speak up. But I don’t know how.”

In other words: can sensitive women and men — who by nature shy away from noise and violence — refuse to become the silent majority in a world where loud mouthed assholes have taken over the entire discussion?

When a President of a rather Large Nation rules by sending out 140 letter insults, we sensitive people, have no words.

We simply can’t believe it.

I wholeheartedly believe it’s important to speak up and voice our opinion.

Even if it scares the living daylight out of the sensitive men and women on our planet. To us the meaning of “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” couldn’t be further from the truth.

It hurts. It hurts like hell.

So now what? Do we keep quiet? Dumfounded by the harshness of the debate. Do we let rage and hate become the new norm and share cat pics instead?

Our voice is more important than ever! Yes, we can all quit social media. But it has become the platform where ‘everything happens’. I believe it’s important to stand tall and be unapologetically sensitive!

It’s fine to share ready-made: “I pray for…” memes and get it over with. But I truly think it’s far more important to “Act” and to ‘Be”.

That means we all have to take into account that there might be a certain degree of uneasiness when we speak up.

Your sensitivity can change the tone of the debate.

Your kind gestures, words of reason, your open displays of vulnerability will heal us.

Sensitive people of the world: Stay tall. Bring your Gentle Voice of Reason, empathy and kick-ass sense of humor into the global online debate.

Here are my 12 Tips for Those Brave Enough to Speak Up 
—  leave your tips in the comments if you too refuse to be silenced —  

1. Don’t react to articles in newspapers or ‘so-called news websites’, you don’t want to get mixed up with the angry masses — I sometimes did — using my deadly sarcastic voice — and it killed my soul, so never again. Express your worry in a way that’s deeply personal.
Say: “I don’t feel comfortable…” or “I feel lost…” “It scares me that…” etc.
Discuss in a way that might eventually lead into mutual understanding. It’s okay to say:
“I don’t agree with you and that’s okay. Thank you for explaining your point of view to me.”

2. Choose your battles carefully.
Don’t pick a fight about art with someone who hates art.

3. Boundaries! Boundaries!
If you feel attacked, out-witted or unheimisch by someones words or actions on Social Media unfriend and/or ban them. Keep your timeline a place of joy, kindness and happiness.

Don’t go into discussions that will not help you enlarge or deepen your knowledge or understanding. This is not only a great way to create solid boundaries online but it fortifies your boundaries in daily life.

4. Stay away from any discussion if you feel too vulnerable. Refuse to be cracked open by anyone.

5. Don’t take crap from people. Just don’t.

6. Be the leader of your own discussions.
Unless it’s something you’re really knowledgeable about, don’t go for specifics in someone else’s timeline.
Is there anything more annoying than trying to express yourself carefully and finding yourself typing a well-composed 1.000 words essay on your phone only to find out no one gives a shit?

If it’s something you like to know more about: Learn about it. Find solid well-founded information. If it’s something you feel passioned about… share it on your own platforms!

Make your own Facebook Live video’s, write poems, Manifesto’s, essays, blogpost. Don’t keep your words of wisdom to yourself.

7. Speak from a place of love, empathy and your deep felt longing to make a difference in the world.

8. Love them anyway. We all fight our battles. In the end it’s compassion that will do the trick. We all breathe the same air.

9. Accept that sometimes you feel like shit but still don’t let yourself be silenced. The awkwardness will pass.

10. It’s not always about you. Sometimes you just need to brush your ego out of the way…

11. Humor is a great way to lighten the/your mood.

12. Breathe….


I’m grateful for your tips and ideas in the comments below.

What will you do? How will you share your message, your inner feelings, your fears, hopes, and doubts? How will you show up in Social Media?

Share this message with your fellow sensitive friends, let us all speak up in our unique way. 

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