Social Media Wants an Instant Response... It's a Trap!

Instant reaction...

Why do we feel the need to post about every story, jump on every bandwagon, opine on every creation, and respond to every comment?

Life doesn't happen in an instant, it develops slowly over time. Whatever your reaction now, it will undoubtedly change later.

But instead of giving yourself the space to dwell on your thoughts, to give them real consideration, we quickly post it, permanently attaching it to our public persona. As if that instant and unnuanced reaction is somehow fixed.

Instant gratification...

Why do we expect to see an instant reaction every time we post a story, jump on a bandwagon, opine on a creation, or respond to a comment?

Life doesn't happen in an instant, it develops slowly over time. Whatever people's immediate response may be, it will change.

But instead of giving them the space to thoughtfully react to our screed, we wait impatiently for a like or a share. We let ourselves feel deflated when the response is quiet. We backtrack on something we found important and delete a post, simply because not enough people decided to give you an instant pat on the back.

Ideas are a tortoise, not a hare.  


I call for patience.

Next time you have an immediate gut reaction, think on it for 30 minutes instead of immediately saying it. Notice how your feelings change over time. Notice how that instant reaction feels extreme after the patience of time softens the sharp edges.

Next time your saying something, wait on reaction without expectation. Notice how your confidence grows over time. Notice how that instant gratification becomes less important after the patience of time strengthens your self-worth.