On the subject of un-friending

It's better for both parties!

I used to think that un-friending/un-following people on Facebook whose opinions disagreed with mine was un-cool, rude and pretentious. I was wrong. Turns out that I was being a little too politically correct for my own good. Plus, I was preventing them from having a peaceful Facebook experience as well.

Think about it. If you're nearly always aggravated and your day is negatively impacted by someone's posts, chances are, they feel the same about yours. It's just not nice to put them (or you) through that for no reason other than to continually shove your opinions down their throat or “I told you so” them to death with memes and related articles that prove your point.

It's much better to treat Facebook and other social media friends just as you do those in real life. If you disagree with people in real life, don't you naturally drift apart? And if you agree with someone in real life, aren't you naturally drawn to them?

That's because you can relate to those you agree with. You find conversations with them to be a pleasant experience. You enjoy being around them. And those other people? Not so much, yes?

Now, I'm not saying that in “real” life, you should make it your goal to only have friends that agree with you. That would be silly. What I'm saying is that it's just how it goes. It's natural to migrate toward like-minded people.

Besides, why would you want a friend who makes you feel bad or brings constant negativity to your life?

But the more important question here is, why would they want you to make them miserable, either?

Because as right as you think you are, you have to face the fact that to some people, you're the annoying and negative one. Oh yes, you are. And maybe that's the very best reason there is not to feel guilty about clicking that unfriend button.

Because it's better for both of you.

And on a personal note, the one good thing this recent election has done for me is give me the courage to click that button on numerous occasions. And you know what? It works for me and it works for them (the un-friended/un-followed) too.

Facebook is fun again for me. I'm also sure it's better for them too. Because on more than a few occasions, it was a mutual, peaceful agreement. How do you like that?

Folks, you don't have to like everyone. You don't have to pretend you like everyone. You don't have to tolerate everything. You're a human being with very human emotions. Just be yourself and the people who belong in your life and that will enrich it will be drawn to you.

And yin/yang being what it is, the opposite is also true. Those who don't belong in your life and don't enrich it, will drift away.

Nothing wrong that. Or with wanting your life and theirs to be a happier experience. Nothing wrong with it at all. It's better for both of you.