Whatever Happened to Polite Social Discussion?

I had an email exchange today with someone I've never personally met. As a matter of fact we'd exchanged only a few brief emails over the last few days. He expressed his opinion about an issue of the day and asked me mine. I knew we were on different sides of the political fence, so I didn't expect us to agree, but I expressed my point of view with the caveat that we were not likely to find a common ground on the particular matter. 

Statue of Harmony aside the Vltava River - Prague

What I didn't expect was his mean spirited and downright nasty response. He called me "an uninformed simpleton who obviously knew nothing about the issue and was merely rehashing the liberal trash I'd been fed by the media". Not only that,  but I was "too far below his intellectual level to possibly continue this or any conversation". 

To say I was shocked would be grossly understated! I reread his words thinking that perhaps I had misinterpreted a bad attempt at sarcasm...nope! I reread my original email thinking I must have inadvertently said something which set him off...no, pretty pleasant, even accommodating!

My immediate reaction was to dash off a response chiding him for his rudeness and totally inappropriate behavior, but instead I realized this would only fan the flame, so I blocked his email address and deleted the message. 

The "gentlemen" was a classic cyber-bully, someone who uses the anonymity  provided by the internet to trash others opinions with name calling and vitriol, rather than persuade using logic, rationality and solid information. This cowardly individual uses foul language and aggressive online behavior  to bolster his own fragile ego the same way a school yard bully uses  violence on the playground.

In the world of cyber bullying this encounter was nearly insignificant. The bully did not know me personally or any other information about me other than a blind email address  which was easily blocked. But what are some good tips for handling cyber bullying of a more serious nature?

• Resist the urge to strike back or defend yourself. It's the online version of walking away.

• Don't be a bully. If you post a comment on someone's blog or website, be civil and have facts to back up your statements.

• Be a proponent for lively discussion, not name calling and partisan politicking.

• Stay safe! Protect your identity and remember the internet is forever! Think before you post!

• Lastly, but most importantly, don't let the actions of a cyber bully make you question your own opinions and self- worth! To paraphrase Taylor Swift, "...all they're ever gonna be is mean..."

Be Well!