Lord I need to read this ten more times and print it out and put it under my pillow. Something happened to me since the referendum (maybe also turning 50). I have become rabid, ranting and opinionated. My rage online knows no bounds (although I do not ever hit send because I cannot afford the professional repercussions) and I feel the vote made me despise my fellow Australians what is happening in Gaza has tipped me over the edge and now I loathe the rest of the world. I want to scream, SCREAM at the zionists. I want to fight them all. I want to set things on fire. Then I read this column and see how ridiculous I am being. And I honestly feel much calmer. I feel things so deeply but I realize now I don’t need to react like a lunatic. I am going to let those balls fly over my head. Thank you. Thank you. Xxxx
I read your ideas Sarah and interpreted each one through the lens of my relationship - and interactions - with my husband. Turns out these ways of being can work on a big and small scale.
Sarah, these are brilliant thoughts! I don't comment often on social media about contentious issues ( also one person's normal comment is another's contentious issue, I have discovered) because when I have, I get such vitriol and I get genuinely hurt and confused and commenting on social media isn't worth my mental well-being. I recently commented about the subsidized daycare in Ontario and boy oh boy, there are a lot of anti-socialists who don't like that idea!! LOL
I have been discussing this issue for a while as I am grappling as to why it seems society has changed so much. I am a vet and am constantly navigating negative comments, emotional blackmailing and a reduced capacity for people to just be kind. I know that people are in a heightened state of stress when they see me but it doesn’t mean that’s ok to be rude and disrespectful. It seems the last few years have caused a deterioration in the way we care for each other as humans.
I wonder is it because we are all stressed about the state of the world? I feel that so many people are in denial about all of it but maybe deep down subconsciously this is how it plays out?
Vets have a very high suicide rate and I have lost many colleagues, for some it is all just too much to bear.
Great post Sarah. Also, really really loved your podcast on the tech-bros / Mars madness. I'm totally with you on it all. The whole thing sounds so utterly ridiculous and such a terrible waste of time and money and resources, rather than trying to make our actual home and the planet we know we can live on a better place.
I have generally cut back all online interactions to the things that bring me joy, controlling the things within my control. Your page is one of them.
I also don’t seem to say things that people disagree with greatly, most people are actually happy I have spoken up about something because they didn’t have the courage to do so. And that in itself sparks conversation and connection.
I think more of the world needs to tune out the junk and tune into what’s important for ourselves, and offer a little more kindness to the world. The world would be a much nicer place to exist in.
Learning not to lob tennis balls back has been a key discovery for me too! It started with just taking a second to pause before reacting and then working to expand that, just like training a muscle. I've gotten to the point where j can restrain myself enough to ask 'is this comment going to help me go in the direction I wish to, or hinder it?' It's usually the latter!
“I only have to feel compassion for our shared humanity” and “We can also push back on the real “force” at play in most pockets of the world in 2024: Unguided and unsupported fear, loneliness and despair.” Yes! ❤️❤️❤️ You are doing an amazing job each week putting into words what humanity is going through, and helping us to keep our chins up and keep facing the world with love and compassion.
Thanks Sarah, this is brilliant, it is the sane, manageable perspective I needed. It gave me the final bit of confidence to push the publish button on a Substack of my cartoons today. I feel like I am entering this new phase of my life with a little magical shield at my side - thank you! I also loved you point about being able to change with world with this stuff - it reminded me of a Mo Gawdat podcast (SlowMo) where he said if we are worried about AI, the best thing we can do is model decent kind human interactions online to ounter all the crap that is going into AI data sets. xo
What an amazing post, thank you. Can I have some of your wise ways? I'm so quick to react, don't back down when I know I'm right and I'm so quick to anger, I would say I go from 0 to 100 in under a second, but these days, my base level is at least at 50 (I don't know if to blame it on peri or people just being irritating/stupid etc. , both could be true. (I know talking in absolutes ...). I'll try to remember to count to 50 before I react and your tennis ball analogy is pretty good, except I'm quite competitive and I know I'd strive to hit it back ...
I think I came about your writing via that particular troll site years ago somehow and have stayed (and happily pay!) for your content ever since. Can’t even remember the name of that troll now.
Something I heard last week, I cannot remember where, comes to mind, it was an American man sitting in a bar in Africa with his two African companions. They had all noticed an attractive 20 year old woman working the bar as a prostitute. They started a conversation about the morality and the humanity of the situation, religious and economic arguments were raised. The American eventually took a side and agreed with one of the men. Both men turned to him with anger, if you are looking for right then you are not listening! , we do not care who is right!, we want to understand!.
Hey Sarah, when we chatted about these ideas in Jan, they had a huge, positive impact on me. I’m so glad you’ve captured them to share like this.. I’ll be sharing widely..
Part of our strategy is to help shift media to do more ‘good’, and your take on it being our responsibility to be part of the dialogue and ‘enter the fray’ has stiffened my back bone immeasurably, thank you 😊
Lord I need to read this ten more times and print it out and put it under my pillow. Something happened to me since the referendum (maybe also turning 50). I have become rabid, ranting and opinionated. My rage online knows no bounds (although I do not ever hit send because I cannot afford the professional repercussions) and I feel the vote made me despise my fellow Australians what is happening in Gaza has tipped me over the edge and now I loathe the rest of the world. I want to scream, SCREAM at the zionists. I want to fight them all. I want to set things on fire. Then I read this column and see how ridiculous I am being. And I honestly feel much calmer. I feel things so deeply but I realize now I don’t need to react like a lunatic. I am going to let those balls fly over my head. Thank you. Thank you. Xxxx
I read your ideas Sarah and interpreted each one through the lens of my relationship - and interactions - with my husband. Turns out these ways of being can work on a big and small scale.
Thank you.
Peace and love hey... it's all we've got.
Love Cherie
Sarah, these are brilliant thoughts! I don't comment often on social media about contentious issues ( also one person's normal comment is another's contentious issue, I have discovered) because when I have, I get such vitriol and I get genuinely hurt and confused and commenting on social media isn't worth my mental well-being. I recently commented about the subsidized daycare in Ontario and boy oh boy, there are a lot of anti-socialists who don't like that idea!! LOL
Such great points there Sarah.
I have been discussing this issue for a while as I am grappling as to why it seems society has changed so much. I am a vet and am constantly navigating negative comments, emotional blackmailing and a reduced capacity for people to just be kind. I know that people are in a heightened state of stress when they see me but it doesn’t mean that’s ok to be rude and disrespectful. It seems the last few years have caused a deterioration in the way we care for each other as humans.
I wonder is it because we are all stressed about the state of the world? I feel that so many people are in denial about all of it but maybe deep down subconsciously this is how it plays out?
Vets have a very high suicide rate and I have lost many colleagues, for some it is all just too much to bear.
Great post Sarah. Also, really really loved your podcast on the tech-bros / Mars madness. I'm totally with you on it all. The whole thing sounds so utterly ridiculous and such a terrible waste of time and money and resources, rather than trying to make our actual home and the planet we know we can live on a better place.
I have generally cut back all online interactions to the things that bring me joy, controlling the things within my control. Your page is one of them.
I also don’t seem to say things that people disagree with greatly, most people are actually happy I have spoken up about something because they didn’t have the courage to do so. And that in itself sparks conversation and connection.
I think more of the world needs to tune out the junk and tune into what’s important for ourselves, and offer a little more kindness to the world. The world would be a much nicer place to exist in.
Learning not to lob tennis balls back has been a key discovery for me too! It started with just taking a second to pause before reacting and then working to expand that, just like training a muscle. I've gotten to the point where j can restrain myself enough to ask 'is this comment going to help me go in the direction I wish to, or hinder it?' It's usually the latter!
“I only have to feel compassion for our shared humanity” and “We can also push back on the real “force” at play in most pockets of the world in 2024: Unguided and unsupported fear, loneliness and despair.” Yes! ❤️❤️❤️ You are doing an amazing job each week putting into words what humanity is going through, and helping us to keep our chins up and keep facing the world with love and compassion.
Thanks Sarah, this is brilliant, it is the sane, manageable perspective I needed. It gave me the final bit of confidence to push the publish button on a Substack of my cartoons today. I feel like I am entering this new phase of my life with a little magical shield at my side - thank you! I also loved you point about being able to change with world with this stuff - it reminded me of a Mo Gawdat podcast (SlowMo) where he said if we are worried about AI, the best thing we can do is model decent kind human interactions online to ounter all the crap that is going into AI data sets. xo
What an amazing post, thank you. Can I have some of your wise ways? I'm so quick to react, don't back down when I know I'm right and I'm so quick to anger, I would say I go from 0 to 100 in under a second, but these days, my base level is at least at 50 (I don't know if to blame it on peri or people just being irritating/stupid etc. , both could be true. (I know talking in absolutes ...). I'll try to remember to count to 50 before I react and your tennis ball analogy is pretty good, except I'm quite competitive and I know I'd strive to hit it back ...
Great writing Sarah...awesome content...enjoyed all of it...keep on keeping on ! 🙂
I think I came about your writing via that particular troll site years ago somehow and have stayed (and happily pay!) for your content ever since. Can’t even remember the name of that troll now.
Fucking brilliant Sarah.
Something I heard last week, I cannot remember where, comes to mind, it was an American man sitting in a bar in Africa with his two African companions. They had all noticed an attractive 20 year old woman working the bar as a prostitute. They started a conversation about the morality and the humanity of the situation, religious and economic arguments were raised. The American eventually took a side and agreed with one of the men. Both men turned to him with anger, if you are looking for right then you are not listening! , we do not care who is right!, we want to understand!.
Hey Sarah, when we chatted about these ideas in Jan, they had a huge, positive impact on me. I’m so glad you’ve captured them to share like this.. I’ll be sharing widely..
Part of our strategy is to help shift media to do more ‘good’, and your take on it being our responsibility to be part of the dialogue and ‘enter the fray’ has stiffened my back bone immeasurably, thank you 😊
Are there scenarios where you just choose to walk away?
This came at just the right time for me, for the big issues and the smaller ones I have in my professional life right now.
Thank you Sarah!