Got A Sec?

You ever talk to someone, and they are coming to you for advice, and you realize, pretty quickly, that they are only there to hear your affirmation?

Meaning, if you disagree, and give honest feedback, they are put off?

No, no, no. You don't see. You aren't agreeing with me. [Face twitches]. Not six minute abs! Seven!

So the feedback becomes a fight.

I have an easy solution for that.

But a slightly harder solution is to realize that a lot of folks (when they say they want feedback and your "honest" opinion) are just really saying, "You agree with me, right?"

Right?

Of course, they have evolved. And some now exist solely to anger you.

They expect disagreement.

Hoping you care enough to disagree.

And they love it.

In fact, one of the most effective ways to gather a following is to anger people.

They want you to disagree. 

Because engagement, wrestling the pig, gets the hog paid.

So now, not only do we have jabronis looking only for agreement, we got other jabronis looking for a scrap, if only behind a "smart" phone.

So, contrary to popular opinion, I just choose not to engage.

I choose not to run!

Did you know that if your social media feeds are full of ragebait, it's because they know you love it?

While you sit there angry, stewing, scrolling to more anger, you are being absolutely fed what you respond to.

Now, if it's going the other way, the Kumbaya way, well you're probably only getting the affirmation you have been secretly seeking (like when you talk to ai).

You want my advice?

I have the answer.

And it's just so simple a solution, it's elegant.

[Phone rings]

[Phone displays "Suspected Spam"]

I gotta take this.

"What? The prince of where? Prince Whozit? Well, I always got time for royalty!"

[Points to phone, mouths to you, "Prince Whozit!"]

[You leave the room, as confused as ever. The author beams].