5 Reasons Not to Comment on a Political Post on Facebook.

So, today I commented on a political post on Facebook. This was a bad idea and here is why…

1 People are blinded by their own political views.

If they post something concerning politics they have already made up their mind about it and really didn’t post it to hear a different view or start a discussion.  This is why when you comment on it they go to great links to disprove you and prove their point.

2 People take what you wrote and make it mean what they want it to mean.

There are three reasons for this. First, when we write we often mean one thing but the words we use mean something else. We often miscommunicate because we have written the response during an emotional moment. Almost all political comments are emotionally motivated. Second, people just take things wrong because they didn’t really take the time to think through what you were saying nor did they take the time to ask questions to clarify what you said.  So they take what you said and make it mean what they think it means rather than what you really meant.  Third, they think it makes them look good. They think that in “disproving” what they “really believe” you said they are showing their ability to really think and that their point of view is the one to have.  Well, at least they feel good about themselves because of you… so I guess that’s a good thing.

3 Other people gang up on you because they believe what their friend said you said.

It’s never a good thing when people you don’t even know assume they know you and are smarter than you.

4  Soon the post that was meant to help and open up a discussion (see #1 above) is taken as an attack.

Yep… you become the enemy of “all that is right and good” or blind or a non-thinker or some other degrading description

5  You are soon made out to be an idiot.

This is unfortunate because even though you may be in the same political party and not an idiot, you are treated as if you are and that you are a voice for the opposing party.

6. It is really a waist of time.

Yep… and you can’t get that time back.

But remember…

It could be worse…

you could have decided to make additional comments on the same post to defend yourself…

Yea… that never works well.