Ignore

There are a few people on my Facebook list who I've put on ignore (no, you are not one of them,). I sometimes wish I could do this in real life, too. Ignore isn't an unfriending on Facebook. I can still check in with these people's feeds from time to time, and see when they post something on my page. But I noticed that certain people's posts, instead of making me feel more connected to them and the world, were making me angry. Or dismissive.

So, apparently I can't handle people saying things I don't like. Or saying too much of them. Maybe it is partly because I have a hard time knowing how (and if) to respond. If we are "friends" then shouldn't we engage with each other? I'm still learning to live and let live. There are certain topics that still get my blood boiling. And, honestly, it doesn't matter. So I choose ignore, as a kindergarden way of letting live.

Now if I can just figure out how to do this in real life, maybe I'll get better at just chilling out. I've done it a few times, with extreme cases, not people I'd even call acquaintances. Just people I know and cross paths with sometimes. And it can be really stressful to just not respond, but at the same time, with some people it can be as stressful to engage with them.

Time was, I'd run head-first into altercations, to make sure the other person knew I disagreed with him or her. At least that I've learned to do less of. It doesn't make me less genuine to not tell someone I think they are wrong.

Still, an ignore button in real life, that could cut out even hearing what a person said unless it was directly to me, that might be nice some days.