I know we're all sick of the phrase "these are unprecedented times." However, it's true. Life is completely weird right now.
And I know this means that people are not being their best selves.
Just the other week I received an email from someone I don't know personally, complaining about how I run one of my websites (a website that provides free content to them). And then this week one of my relatives posted a rant comment on one of my Facebook posts, telling me what a fake, gross human being I am. I'm not exaggerating; she actually wrote, "you reeeeeaaaaaaalllllllly gross me out with your fake fake fake fake fake crocodile tears. There. I said it. Rope. CUT."
I mean, I know I'm not for everyone, but still, wow. Rudeness.
In both of these cases, I conjured empathy for the fact that everything is hard right now and was left with the distinct feeling that the human race would do well by pausing before communicating negativity. For example, asking, "Do I really need to be this bitchy to get my point across? Could I perhaps say this in a more thoughtful or more neutral way that actually matches the situation at hand? Is my reaction more about me than the other person?"
Don't get me wrong, there are times for anger and strong feelings. I am very much about the direct sauce (again, considering words carefully so they match the situation at hand) and then there are times where I'm like, SERIOUSLY, WHY? I take all manner of personal and professional communication with many grains of salt because I know that people are dealing with their own shit (I actually have an email folder labeled "CRAZY PEOPLE" where I file toxic emails) and it is highly annoying and distracting to receive over the top nasty communication from people. I have developed a pretty thick skin over the 14 years I have worked on the Internet, but still, I'm a human being.
Everything is harder in the middle of a global pandemic (#understatement) and that makes the act of pausing and considering your words even more important. And listen, just to be clear, I'm not asking for perfection. If something slips out not quite the way you want it to, remember that apologies are also really powerful.
We're not supposed to be perfect, we just need to do the work.
