Living Life and Posting Without a Filter of Fear
What if my boss finds me online? I better not say anything controversial... It's much safer to just be quiet and stick to PG topics that everyone is comfortable with.
Fuck That.
If you want to play it safe in life and try to never offend anyone, that is totally your choice... (coughs) chicken... But to me, it is much more beneficial to speak your mind. Not only does it help others by letting them see the variety of personalities and thought processes out there, but it helps yourself by forcing you to analyze your own thoughts and actions.
This isn't to say "go ahead and be a giant douchebag online." But more that if you have a strong opinion about something, then talk about it! If you offend a friend, a family member, or a complete stranger, then good! It will have provoked them to think about it. And if they hold a grudge simply based on your opposing opinion, then so be it.
But, it's too dangerous! I could lose my job!
I get it. You have bills and debts to pay off and you feel trapped in a position where you need to support your family anyway you can. Potentially getting fired over a comment online is too risky for you and your family. It's true. BUT, when you are old and grey, thinking about your life and what you've done, what do you want to look back on? A safe existence, where you never stirred up any trouble and would try to be agreeable on everything? A life where you kept all of the interesting and against-the-grain ideas all to yourself too afraid to talk about it with anyone? That sounds terrible to me. I would 100% rather be fired from my job and have a brief period of transition if it meant I could say my true thoughts, and share my true opinions.
When I stopped giving a shit (mostly) - momento mori
I had a kidney stone a while back that taught me a couple very important lessons. The first being that I had no idea what real pain was until that time. The pain comes from pressure on your kidney as fluid is unable to travel down the ureter. It was the most excruciating ordeal I have ever been through, but even worse, it lasted an entire month.
Imagine kind of feeling like you have to take a crap, but that feeling builds up to the point where your entire side and back starts throbbing intensely to where you can think of nothing but trying to find a comfortable position to ease the pain any way possible. This lasts for anywhere between a few minutes, to hours as your are writhing away.
Believe it or not, I actually thought I was going to die the first night of the kidney stone. The pain was so extreme, I thought for sure it was my time to cash in. During this month and ever since, the Latin phrase momento mori (remember death) is always in my mind. You might laugh, but when you have no idea why you are suddenly in pain, and when it makes a tattoo look like getting tickled in comparison, you just might have thought the same thing.
My constant thoughts now revolve around the key things I want to do before I die. Most importantly, I want to have an impact somewhere that is meaningful to me and beneficial for many. And one part of that is putting my thoughts down on a blockchain for future users (myself included) to look back on. Not just to look at the posts that I did well, but also those that were done poorly.
Humility is important though, and I do not ignore criticism
Part of why I don't care so much is that I am not afraid of failure anymore. I know I am going to say things that are at times right and at times wrong. But by sharing them and listening to criticism, it helps me learn and progress as a person. And down the road as I age, I can keep looking back and smiling on the good things that I've done, and the progress I have made from things that I could have done better.
Plus, if Donald Trump can get away with half the shit he says, I think I am pretty safe haha =P
Don't be afraid to fail. And if those around you are keen on shoving your failures in your face, ignore them and keep trying. This is your only life, don't let the fear of other's perceptions limit who you are!
I have stopped giving a shit, check it out if you don't mind @dollarvigilante
I'm not @dollarvigilante, but I read your post. I understand your frustration, I've felt it too, but it is good to see you aren't giving up!
While I don't always agree with everything @venuspcs says, I entirely appreciate his not-giving-a-shit-ness :P
its not easy to
Well, it's a lot easier when posting semi-anonymously under a pseudonym, right? ;-)
If anyone wanted to find out my real name, they easily could with the amount of information I've shared about myself and the videos I have put up on here. The reason I don't share my real name is two-fold:
1 - This is an unknown unregulated time that may come with consequences later
2 - I want to provide a roadblock for trolls who simply want to find out my details to annoy me IRL (like how kids are SWATing other kids in video games for the lulz)
I don't see any benefit to myself or the community by providing that information, I only see risk without reward. I could share that information, just like I could share my home address and social security number. But why go out of my way to do that when the only people who would care about those details likely won't use them to do me any good.
I agree. My comment was tongue-in-cheeck, but I feel the same way as you. It is still true, though: easier to post without filter, but within reason, when there's a slight separation between the online persona and real life one.
Thank you for being you! What this world needs so desperately is just that. I appreciate your views, especially the Freedom of Palestine! I'm following you now.