Photograph by Jonno Rattman for the New Yorker.
Despite all of Elon Musk’s efforts to ruin improve the platform formerly known as Twitter, there are still a number of great people on it. One whom I often draw inspiration from is Patrick Skinner. For those unfamiliar with him, Skinner served as a case officer at the Central Intelligence Agency, handling foreign intelligence sources during the “War on Terror.” He later transitioned to policing, becoming a beat cop and then a homicide detective in Savannah, Georgia. He has written and spoken against the rise of the “warrior cop” and the militarization of police forces. Beyond his reflections on supporting his neighbors, his Twitter feed documents his garden, his growth as a cook, and the complicated social comings and goings of the many, many animals in his family’s lives.
This morning, Patrick’s tweet put words to something I was feeling but didn’t have the words for:
Sometimes the only agency we have is found in how we react to events unfolding around us. I’d encourage everyone to spend a bit of time reflecting on how you are choosing to react to things and be curious about why you are choosing that response.
Applying this to OTB, I also want to add another piece of advice/truism:
You cannot win a fight in a comment thread or on social media.
Or perhaps more accurate to human emotions: in online spaces, you cannot make someone else shut up. That truth is something I have to remind myself about a lot–especially since I’m very susceptible to “someone is wrong on the internet.” The reality is that if said person is ok with being wrong, then nothing you can do in a given moment will change that.
The good news is that Patrick’s advice reminds us that we can choose not to expend any more effort on those people.
Stay safe everyone.
Personal note: I had an unexpected appendectomy at the start of July. The recovery has been a bit rocky, hence why I haven’t been around much. Looking forward to rejoining the conversation. I just wish it was under better circumstances.
