Thrive Newsletter - Issue #41 - When A Troll Crashes Into Your DMs Edition
Should I be "kind"... to trolls?
Hi Friends!
You know what? The Universe is too quick to send the “practice what you preach” lessons. Slow your roll, Universe…lol.
Lately, I have been recentering my energies toward being kind as a default, focussing on healing and solutions instead of the negative context and all that. It’s important, healthy, mature … and all that
So guess what happened earlier this week? A troll slides into my DMs (private message) and tests everything I am trying to accomplish by calling me the f-word, making fun of my body, and topping it off with racial slurs.
Do I really have to be kind to trolls? The short answer is absolutely not, and yes.
The Absolutely Not Perspective — I have spent most of my life being abused by others, abusing myself, and then spreading the abuse thinking it was the will of God. So … no. I absolutely do not have to extend kindness to an abusive person. I don’t feed trolls. I will not feed the abuse.
The Yes Perspective — Probably the kindest thing to do is not engage the troll. By not engaging, they are not given another reason to abuse themselves by engaging their incredibly negative energy to create more hurt and pain. I honestly believe the malice behind most trolls is internalized rage and an unwillingness to hold themselves accountable for their anger.
Anger is good, it informs. Anger running amok, completely unchecked, turns into hate. Hate doesn’t inform and is always poison. Whether the poison of hatred is a steady drip or shooting out of a firehose, it can easily turn into bigotry.
The last paragraph's progression from anger to bigotry is not limited to any ideology. I’ve seen it happen repeatedly on every side of the issues I have been on or am on. Again, anger is good because it informs, but we humans struggle with seeing it as such and don’t realize when hatred hijacks the legitimate emotion of anger.
And I should thank the Universe for this quick real-time opportunity to meditate on kindness because the heart of that troll is still a human heart. All the rage flowing out of them is hijacked anger. Probably deep in there somewhere, they have a legitimate reason to be angry. Maybe or maybe not with me, but … something.
And that is something they must figure out on their own because I will not feed the abuse. I will pray for and send positive energy to them as they come to mind, but I will not return negative energy for negative energy.
And maybe, just maybe, I might be a kinder person as a result.
So my birthday is May 14th, which this year is on Mother’s Day. I will be 55! The big five-five isn’t a thing, but I think I will make it a thing. My birthday party will be next Saturday with a good crew of family and my chosen family.
Do you know how people often do those fundraisers on Facebook for their birthday? I am going to do the same. If inclined, for my birthday, please donate to the promotion and marketing GoFundMe campaign for my book “WHY.” Any amount from $5, $10, $20, or more will go a long way to help the book along before, during, and after the launch. Click through to learn more. The campaign is off to a good start, but the goal is large, so thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Speaking of memoirs, my publisher has given me a lot of homework this week so… best get to it!
Have a great weekend, and love y’all,
Randy