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In my effort to make myself completely insane, I have realized that people on social media refrain from reading.  They refrain from getting all the information and resort to making redundant posts.   For example, I follow several groups that assist those who have lost or have found possibly misplaced pets.    In every single post, there is someone or several someones that ask the same question.    Since I am a visual person, I will demonstrate:   “FOUND……..I have found a sweet puppy in the area of St. Matthews.  No tags and I have had it scanned for a chip, but sadly it doesn’t have one.  Please help me find this baby’s home.”   I kid you not, there will be an abundance of responses saying this…..”Please have this sweet dog scanned for a microchip.  It is free at any vet’s office.”   Hello…..did you read the post?     Reading is to social media as listening is to the real world.   Nobody does either.

Maybe it is an impulse.    In the real world, we listen to respond instead of simply listening.  It is skill.  Refined and practiced until one is truly present.    Let me point out how much time is wasted when well-meaning individuals are redundant.  Another issue is reading to solve someone’s issue.    So, you have posted something going on in your life.  You haven’t asked for help or a solution.  You are simply sharing.   Then a individual post their opinion on said issue by inflicting the word “should” on you.   The word “should” is essentially underlying criticism. They might not mean it in that way.  They have good intentions, but the word oozes “you aren’t doing this correctly, so here is my solution that you didn’t ask for.”  I know, right now you are confused, so let me elaborate.  The word “should” is used effortlessly, but do you know how it sounds? It’s rather harsh with its cold edges.  “You should try doing it this way.  “You should buy this to help with that problem.”   Um, I don’t think I asked for help or an opinion, so there’s that.

Maybe I am too picky or critical (be quiet peanut gallery), but even in the social media world, manners count.   Fully digesting a post before responding and if you do respond use courtesy.  If they didn’t ask for a solution, don’t offer one.   If they didn’t ask for an opinion, don’t share one.   And for God’s sake, read the post with present intent gusto.  Absorb each word.   If you practice this in the fake world of social media, you might be ready to be in the real world among breathing humans.