My heart feels unusually heavy this weekend. Two years ago today a beautiful young girl named Claire Davis lost her life to gun violence and her schoolmate’s rage. It happened at my alma mater, Arapahoe High School, in Centennial, Colorado. It had been almost two years to the day after the tragedy at Sandy Hook, and not 18 months since the horrible theater shooting just across town, in Aurora. I remember thinking then, what is happening to us? How does this kind of thing happen so often, and what kind of pain moves people to commit such violence, against others and then themselves?
I remember high school with great love and (Warrior) pride. Classes were challenging but not overwhelming. Our volleyball team never had a winning season, but we had fun and learned teamwork. Our speech team, on the other hand, won consistently, and competed at State every year. The excellence of our choir concerts and musicals rivaled professional companies I have seen (no help from me). Some of my best friends are teachers I met at Arapahoe. Their dedication to education, of others and themselves, even now in retirement, inspires me. I had my core peer group (fellow nerds), but I was friendly with people in almost every social cluster. I was one of maybe seven non-white students in my class of 462, but I never felt singled out or threatened. Looking back, it was the relationships, as usual, that made my time at AHS special.
Today, I see so much more vitriol and violence in our world than even just 2013. Our relationships deteriorate faster than ever. We oversimplify our political views to post on social media, looking for the most searing and aggressive words to make a terse point. It’s as if we think 140 belligerent characters will make someone with an opposing view say, “Oh, of course, you’re right, I change my mind.” We reply to others’ combative posts impulsively, defensively, and with hostility. What good does this do anyone? It certainly does not lead to any meaningful discourse or mutual understanding. We write things on social media that we might never say in person, or at least not without thinking twice. As a result, we feel indignant, offended, and angry. We ‘unfriend’ one another on Facebook, narrowing our relations to the echo chamber of those who share our exact views, collectively deriding those who don’t.
There is no substitute for a face-to-face conversation, and the time and energy it takes to have one. It requires a certain degree of tolerance, and an unspoken contract of civility and courtesy. We must choose carefully with whom we are willing to undertake such a venture. And perhaps most importantly, we must be clear about our objective(s). Do we really expect to change someone’s fundamentally held political or religious beliefs? How realistic is that? What other purpose, what other good, could possibly come from such conversations?
I propose that we seek these personal interactions to deepen and strengthen our relationships—our connections. Social media, and probably media in general, constantly work to divide us. We need to sit down with one another to reunite, find our common ground, and rediscover our shared humanity. I believe this can only be done in person. It gives us a chance to practice our best skills in patience, curiosity, and withholding judgment. We must listen to understand, and not merely to reply or refute. In the best of these conversations, we ask more questions and make fewer sweeping, generalized statements. We avoid accusatory language, and say more, “Help me understand,” and, “What makes you think that?” The key is to really mean it, though—we need to honestly seek to understand our counterpart’s point of view.
In the best cases, we each walk away feeling seen, heard, understood, and accepted—even loved—despite our differences. We pledge to continue the conversation, seeking always mutual understanding, bringing always mutual respect. Let us start with our real friends. Let us make it safe for those closest to us to express their views without fear of ridicule and contempt. Let us request the same of them, and practice openness and reflective listening in the harbor of established connection. Emboldened with the courage to stand firm in our own beliefs while generously allowing others theirs, then maybe we can venture out into social media again, and serve to bring openness, generosity, and respect to our virtual relationships.
Maybe you feel confused—how did a post starting with the shooting at my high school end up as a plea for kindness on social media? I suppose blogging is, at times, an exercise in stream of consciousness. Thank you for sticking with it to the end. Your willingness to do so gives me hope that we can all move toward patience, generosity, and compassion.
It is so easy for interactions on social media to degenerate into anger and insults precisely because we do not meet face to face. We type in our comments, or defenses, facing only a computer screen, and although there are many who say that we stoop to insults so easily because it does not seem that we are interacting with a real person, I think it is because we are just looking at a screen, and we feel that we have to shout to get our message through.
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Thank you for your comment, Mick. What then, is the message we aim to shout?
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The one that we would do better to set out calmly and clearly, and try to discuss rationally. Unfortuntately, it doesn’t often work out that way.
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I like your proposal about seeking out personal interactions. There’s much that is good in social media, but never a replacement for personal relationships…
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Thanks, Pam. I agree, we are our best when we use social media to enhance our connections, not to replace or degrade them.
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Wise words as always Catherine. And such a good suggestion. Thank you for the reminder to seek out the personal one on one relationships. I have a few, but am a afraid I am a bit a of hermit if I allow myself to be. 🙂
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I agree with you on that score, Kat. As an introvert, I need occasional reminders too!
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I could stay in all day and night and be perfectly happy with my tea and some good books…or a few blogs to read. 😊
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Ooh me too! 😊
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What a thoughtful post, Catherine. Such a good point about being clear what our intentions are—about having conversation to understand the other person’s point of view, not change it. Thank you.
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Thanks, Donna! Easier said than done, and always worth the try! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Wendy Toliver and commented:
I had the pleasure of going to Arapahoe High School with Cathy Cheng, and thanks to social media, we’ve remained friends through the years. I really enjoyed this post and am happy to reblog for my dear readers. Enjoy.
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Aaaww, thanks, Wendy! xoxo 🙂
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I really hope that our collective obsession with social media becomes just another fad that feels quaint a few years from now. That is, I hope we evolve to the point where social media is just one part of a balanced, multi-faceted, relationship-centered approach to communication.
On a personal note, I don’t think that I mentioned to you, Cathy, that I’m in the middle of an intensive, fairly technical 2-wk training course at work. It’s a great class, though the timing is challenging with the lead-up to the holidays. My poor brain is mush each night. So I don’t think I’ll be posting anything any time soon. 😦 I’m using my tiny bit of free time to keep those blogging relationships going and trying to keep up with new posts popping up in my reader. 🙂
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Thanks for your thoughtful comment, and I hope your vision of our future in social media comes true! Best wishes for your training, and I look forward to reading more from you on the other side of it! 🙂
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Thank you for this post, Catherine. I admire you for your deep thought and heartfelt desire to help people find their way to each other. I think that is just what is needed. Social media can be a blessing, in the right hands. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Melissa. It’s always nice to see that something I write resonates with others. 🙂 Happy Holidays!
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