internet friends/real friends
I had to unfriend someone on Facebook this week. I'm not happy about it, but I need to preserve my sanity.
One of Drew's oldest and dearest friends, a guy I've known for many years, turned out to be a vile internet troll. He's very opinionated. So am I. And we don't agree on very much at all. Which would have been OK, except that he had to start an argument with me every time I posted something he didn't agree with.
And his posts didn't just put forth his opinion, they were personal attacks on me.
His internet persona -- He's opinionated, smug and condescending. If he doesn't like something, it's "garbage" or "overblown", and he cannot understand why everyone likes it. If you post that you like something, and he doesn't like it, he questions your competency. He routinely calls out celebrities for their bad behavior -- unless he likes them, then he gives them a "pass". If you prove him factually incorrect, he cannot admit that he is wrong, that it "doesn't matter".
He has the "right" to express himself, and if you delete something form your wall, you are "censoring him".
This is how he talks to everyone on the internet. But for some reason, he upped his game when it came to me.
And he doesn't have a clue that's he's being rude. His wife is a lovely person, I have no clue how she puts up with him.
I'll admit, I can be a witch too, and I said some things I shouldn't have. But I know when 'm out of line, and I apologized. I didn't want to kill a friendship.
but the words "I'm sorry" never come out of his mouth.
He pushed me to the limit. Putting him on my restricted list wasn't effective, I somehow slipped up and allowed him to see a post or two. You guessed it -- he can't pass up an opportunity to go after me.
So I unfriended him. I'm done, I'm so done.
Which is going to be awkward when Drew suggests we get together with them.
One of Drew's oldest and dearest friends, a guy I've known for many years, turned out to be a vile internet troll. He's very opinionated. So am I. And we don't agree on very much at all. Which would have been OK, except that he had to start an argument with me every time I posted something he didn't agree with.
And his posts didn't just put forth his opinion, they were personal attacks on me.
His internet persona -- He's opinionated, smug and condescending. If he doesn't like something, it's "garbage" or "overblown", and he cannot understand why everyone likes it. If you post that you like something, and he doesn't like it, he questions your competency. He routinely calls out celebrities for their bad behavior -- unless he likes them, then he gives them a "pass". If you prove him factually incorrect, he cannot admit that he is wrong, that it "doesn't matter".
He has the "right" to express himself, and if you delete something form your wall, you are "censoring him".
This is how he talks to everyone on the internet. But for some reason, he upped his game when it came to me.
And he doesn't have a clue that's he's being rude. His wife is a lovely person, I have no clue how she puts up with him.
I'll admit, I can be a witch too, and I said some things I shouldn't have. But I know when 'm out of line, and I apologized. I didn't want to kill a friendship.
but the words "I'm sorry" never come out of his mouth.
He pushed me to the limit. Putting him on my restricted list wasn't effective, I somehow slipped up and allowed him to see a post or two. You guessed it -- he can't pass up an opportunity to go after me.
So I unfriended him. I'm done, I'm so done.
Which is going to be awkward when Drew suggests we get together with them.
Had the same thing happen to me. And it isn't fun. Makes things awkward to say the least, but at least I don't have to socialize with the person.
ReplyDeletePeople can be so insensitive and intolerant, and you would think on the internet that we could all learn to be a bit more tolerant of our differences. I can be opinionated too, but will always admit when I am wrong.
Yeah, it's hard.
ReplyDeleteWe have no plans to get together with them, but I know we will see them at a concert in August. Might be very awkward.
It's awkward and I don't envy you. I think I'm happy sometimes that I am as old as I am - I had my first 50 years without social media and this cra...I mean drama. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete