the nobody paradox
Allow me to share the excerpts I found most poignant from both Suliman's our backyard is starting to stink, and xIre's reply to it, Re: Our backyard is starting to stink:
Suliman (referring to xIre):
She is a nobody and this post won’t help her become a good person. But I’d like to address everyone else, a growing pool on this site, who agrees with her, with this: We don’t owe you our time. We don’t owe you the mind space you assume for yourself.
xIre:
Glad you read through my blog
Suliman:
You’re leaving? Good riddance! Hope more follow in your footsteps.
xIre:
Yeah. Good riddance right? Might stay just to spite you in particular.
Looks like xIre changed that last sentence to:
I've decided I really like Bear blog and will stay a little bit longer...
Then she followed up with this:
Hey, you know what they say, all attention is good attention. I've gotten a lot of likes on my recently targeted posts, and it seems that what was said in my past post is perhaps not as much of a fringe belief as is emphasized.
My insights are as follows:
- There's likely more than one backyard or community wherever you go. Choose your scenes wisely.
- Communities framed in terms like "our backyard" may not be as all-encompassing as people using those terms think they are.
- True nobodies don't occupy your vocabulary, time, nor mental. Furthermore, I consider the "nobody" label an oxymoron when used as above.
- Spotlighting growing pools of whom you label "nobodies" shows how available and resonant them and their sentiments are.
- Taunting your opponent can empower them. It can also get you bodied.
- Be careful what you wish for because it might just come true.