Picking up from yesterday:
There are few things easier than playing the martyr on the Internet. It’s a simple process. Say something controversial. Draw attention to it. Get someone else attacking you for what you said. Point to said person with one hand and your “wounds” with another while crying out to those who agree with you over your grievous and unjust hurt. Because, you know, someone on the Internet said something bad about you. Oh the humanity.
While I’m a firm believer in keeping public discourse as civil as possible, I’m also hardly averse to slinging sarcasm when I believe it’s called for. As a result, I’ve had it thrown back at me a few times. Eh, it’s part of the territory. You learn how to laugh it off, and when called for offer counterpoint. In either case, you deal and proceed forward. As the saying goes, the dogs bark but the caravan moves on. There’s no suggestion here you’re supposed to like being lied about, but in the grand scheme of things what other people say about you doesn’t matter. As Paul said:
I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
There are two things one should never bother with: going to the blog of someone who’s attacking you and leaving a comment (or two or three or four dozen) in your defense, and trying to get in the last word no matter what. If you’ve got a beef, lay out your case on your own space. You’re not going to win on someone else’s turf, so why bother? And no argument is won based on who gets in the last word. Besides, the last word has already been spoken:
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
The fine art of knowing when the time to agree to disagree is at hand is in grave danger of becoming the lost art. We need to reclaim it starting now. There is too much vastly more important stuff taking place in our lives both individually and collectively to waste time nursing hurt feelings and grudges. We have got to git’r done. There is no other option.
None.
And in case you’re feeling put down because someone has put you down, here’s a musical interlude courtesy of Tim and Neil Finn (i.e. Finn Brothers) to help set you right:
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/finn_brothers_nothing_wrong_with_you.flv nolink]
