Why You Should Take a Second Look

I love to be sarcastic.

I’ve developed this weird ability to use sarcasm to make people laugh. But how can you be sarcastic on social media (or through the written word in general)? It’s difficult for sure.

I make a lot of sarcastic comments on my Facebook. Most of the time, they’re directed to no one in particular or someone that I know pretty well.

But what about the other folks who are reading those comments? What if they don’t know the inside story or my personality?

It’s easy to forget exactly how public our interactions on the web are.

Note: this post isn’t about censoring what you write. I strongly encourage standing up for what you believe in. This is about being considerate of others.

It’s also easy to forget that writing what we really mean is a lot trickier without the aid of body language and tone of voice.

We All Make Mistakes

I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that you’re human.

Am I right?

Thought so. We (that is, humans) make mistakes all the time. I probably make more than the average human (in fact, I can guarantee it).

It’s OK to make mistakes.

But…

…it’s even better to avoid them (especially this kind of mistake).

I’m not the kind of guy to suck up to others but I’m far from being insensitive. The same traits that allow me to connect with others so easily offline can turn on me and make me look like an a**hole online.

And yet all it takes to prevent mistakes like this is a second look. Instead of just hitting “post”, take a second to think about how others might perceive your statements.

It doesn’t cost you anything and it can avoid ruining someone’s day. You never know who’s reading your posts.

What to Do When You Make a Mistake

So what do you do when you offend someone online? Own your mistake, and apologize. Recognize that you made a mistake, and it becomes a learning experience. You’d be amazed at how far an apology goes.