It’s NOT okay to be mean to others
The advice…
It’s never okay to be mean to others. No matter what medium you are using: you should never write something to or about someone you would not say to their face. And it’s not okay to say things that are hurtful just because you can.
Where it’s coming from…
We live in a time when people feel they have a right to be mean to one another. To use pejorative terms. To judge one another. And to do all this publicly in the social media arena.
Unacceptable.
The way I see it: Being mean is ALWAYS mean. It means you are mean - not cool, or honest, or straightforward. Mean. Bitchy. No exceptions. Hurting someone intentionally - physically or emotionally - is simply wrong.
It is not okay to insult people about their looks or their thoughts and ideas. It is not okay to deliberately crush someone’s spirits - whether in person or from behind the comfort of a keyboard and the distance brought about by it. Because typed words are permanent and while not said face-to-face, the scar is just as deep, if not deeper as it can snowball.
Granted, there will be times when during a heated argument words are said. But those words can be followed by an apology. Sorry is a powerful word. There will also be times when people get you so angry that the only retaliation seems to be to hit back with harsh words. While at times it is acceptable to use words to put up a mirror to someone’s face, there are other ways of telling the truth to that someone’s face - if that will benefit them or the common good.
And, on the flip side of this. It is not okay for people to speak to you cruelly, to break your spirits with words intentionally. It is abusive. It is mean. No exceptions.