I've never blocked anyone before, but there is someone on my Facebook who enjoys stirring people into arguments and occasionally I put them on a temporary stop of notifications until I feel up to dealing with them again. The reason I don't use social media much and try to keep a low profile is so I can just ignore things I don't agree with and leave everyone else to the arguing. I'd rather not be in the position where I have to deal with belligerent people, but sometimes you don't get a choice.
Many years ago, when I worked as a receptionist at a hotel, on occasion I would get someone come to the reception, riled up and angry about an issue. My first steps were to apologise, find out what it was that they were unhappy about and sympathise, letting them know I would get straight on to the manager and to make themselves comfortable (away from the reception) until the manager arrived. By the time the manager arrived, I'd calmed them down, the manager knew what the issue was and they were able to deal with a much calmer customer.
I find that most people who are confrontational are, if treated with respect, generally quite reasonable if you humble yourself a little and start with an apology. However, I realise that most people don't respond that way if they feel under attack. They get defensive or attack in return and don't see why they should apologise or humble themselves if they feel they've done nothing wrong.
Saying we shouldn't take things personally is often easier said than done. Most of us are actually doing our best, yet also not that confident in ourselves, so our immediate default IS to take it personally. We have preconceived assumptions and often don't wait to hear the full story before we lay into someone. Then if we get it wrong, many people struggle to admit they were wrong and apologise. So it's easier to just shut the "problem causer" out.
I think censoring is just the easiest way to make something hard to deal with disappear. However, there are times when someone seems really to just be there for the purpose of stirring up trouble (I know someone who does this for entertainment). When it comes to people like that, then is there any recourse other than to block them, or end up with no-one coming into the forum because they'd rather not deal with them?
Tact on both sides would help matters, unfortunately, not everyone has that.
Ignoring, muting notifications etc is all quite reasonable. You're NOT silencing them, just toning down the volume. They CAN still reachh you and engage, albeit you're making that harder. And it's true that facebook attracts a LOT of angry trolls who seem intent on arguing.
But those of us on Hive who purport to value free speech? Yes, often we are not skilled or overwhelmed. But that doesnt justify blocking or excluding or silencing people. Ever.
Censoring SEEMS easy but all it does is compound anger and frustration for it to spew out somewhere else, later. It resolves nothing and damages community.
People who SEEM intent on being beligerant are usually just expressing an unmet need. It's up to us collectively to find out what that is, and channel their energy elsewhere. The more we block and deny, the more we become that whch we denounce in others.
Tact? I wish I could produce it and fling it around like fairy dust. After sprinkling it rather liberally around myself. 😆
!ENGAGE 25
ENGAGEtokens.