Writings in the Sand

Facebook Philosophy

I turned the coffee brewer on without placing a cup under the spout this morning, so perhaps I am not in the best mental position for discussing philosophical issues, but I may have a bash at one anyway. I wiped up the first ten ounces of coffee with a kitchen towel and set up a retaining wall with another as the kitchen counter flows downward to the right, then made another cup of coffee. A few more sips and I will be ready to type (this much has taken ages, but I feel the synapses coming alive and the signals beginning to connect with my fingers).

First, let me say that I hope no one takes memes on Facebook seriously enough to alter their worldview. Facebook philosophy is flawed at best, dangerous at its worst. I remember when I first saw the word "meme", I mistakenly thought it was borrowed from the French même, meaning "same". A little research reveals that it is a made-up word based loosely on a Greek root word meaning to mime or mimic, and was coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976. However, I think a more literal meaning can be taken from pronouncing it as not one, but two syllables as in “me-me”. Because the majority of memes are all about “me”. They are screaming “me, me!” and it seems like an unhealthy trend on a site dedicated to social interaction.

The me-me that I saw this morning (and which led to this diatribe) declares that someone found the author intimidating but the question was “is she intimidating or are you intimidated?” and then declares that the author refuses to take responsibility for how others react to her.

It’s a good thing that Emily Post is dead, or this would have killed her.

Hey, I believe that everyone is entitled to be their own, true, authentic selves. I also believe that civilization depends on our ability to follow a few rules of behavior that make it possible to live together. One of those rules would be to not go around intimidating people unnecessarily. Admittedly, there may be times when intimidation is a good thing, such as in war or political negotiations. It absolutely is not necessary to be completely self-absorbed in social interactions, however. While it is true that some people are more timid and easily intimidated, it is still a better answer to find out what about you intimidates people so that you can make sure that your message isn’t lost in the delivery.

Other me-me messages that draw attention and sympathy abound. These are annoying but much less harmful. They generally tell you that the author possesses some faults but that they are wonderful and lovable anyway (and if you don’t agree you can do something obscene to yourself). They might declare that the author is silently suffering but will never complain (which they have just done in the me-me). These me-me messages fulfill the need for attention that caused the poster to spread them. But they don’t encourage anti-social behavior.

The perpetuation of the me-me does help one to understand the study which found that the use of Facebook had a detrimental effect on mood. The more time users spent on Facebook, the sadder they became.

User, beware!

And if you find this blog post intimidating, then it’s not my responsibility.