Social media and media in general have taken over our thought processes. All we seem to know how to do anymore is react. It’s time we learn how to respond instead.
What’s the difference? I’m glad you asked. When we react, we do or say things without much thought given to the reception of said reaction. Essentially, we add fuel to the fire. When we respond, we continue the conversation in a way that will hopefully lead to resolution. In other words, we start adding water to the fire.
We see so much reaction happening today because people enjoy the show more than they desire to see a conflict resolved. That’s why there are war movies and not peace treaty movies. Reaction is encouraged by all forms of media today. They want a show!
Have you ever started to write something in reaction to what someone posted on Facebook or Twitter and stopped yourself? That is your conscience telling you that what you are doing won’t help. It is telling you there is a better way - a measured response.
A measured response happens only by intention. You will not do the right thing by accident, but when we tune out our consciences, it is very easy to do the wrong thing.
I understand sometimes our emotions get the best of us, but it seems to be epidemic here lately. This is not just about social media, by the way. Notice how the media narrative changes all the time. Last month people were angry because people weren’t wearing masks. This month we’re in a race war and nobody cares about masks anymore (this is not a commentary on either of those).
We are simply reacting to the stimuli around us. The media feeds our rage and demands that we react! The result of all this reacting is more reactions to the reactions. It’s like throwing fireworks into an explosion.
What if we paused instead and came back with a measured response? The show would be less interesting, but we might actually resolve some of the conflict in this world.
I am sure some would disagree with this analogy, but consider Pearl Harbor. What if we had offered a hasty reaction and gone after our enemies immediately after they attacked? Nothing. Our planes would have run out of fuel and gone down into the ocean. Instead, we created a measured response that led to a shorter war and a more peaceful world.
The men and women of that generation made a name for themselves - The Greatest Generation. And they were indeed. They lived through the Great Depression, won the Second World War, and strengthened the American economy and way of life. How? Through measured responses.
Fast forward to today. Everything seems to be failing. Why? We react to everything that happens immediately. We want results. And when do we want them? Now. It does not work that way. It never has. It never will. Positive change doesn’t happen overnight. Positive change occurs one measured response at a time.
People who help in crisis situations are called first responders for a reason. They seek a solution to the problem. Reactors are the people at the scene of an accident who get in the way or cause more chaos. If you want to be a part of the solution, become a responder.
Do you truly desire to make the world a better place? Stop reacting. Start responding.
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