Stop Trying to Beat Your Opponent

Not a single one of us can claim to be more wise, more holy, or simply better than any other. We can't preach perfection, but we CAN talk about it to help teach others. Sometimes, people only see our words on social media, not our actions, nor really hear our voices.

That said, it only makes sense to choose what we say and put in writing very carefully. Our words have more impact than some of us would care to believe, both negative and positive. We also have to remember who our audience is. It's never just those who we feel are against us or who we subliminally target. Often, we end up alienating those we never considered. More importantly, most of us are watched closely by young, impressionable minds. Sure, we want to teach them realism. We need them to understand that life isn't always peachy. In doing so, however, we have to make sure that we emphasize positive, mature solutions. 

It's not just about our friends, though. When something goes out as a "shot" towards the enemy, are we sure the message we're getting across is the one we intended? More likely, the point is overlooked and the words are taken as fuel to increase the fire and nothing more. We are not teaching our adversaries anything. We are not shaming them into,  or convincing them to, alter their behavior. We're telling them that it is OKAY to act out and we'll just return the favor. Who's winning?

Being competitive in everything I do, I remember getting frustrated to the point of anger every time I lost a ping pong match in our annual family tournaments. So, my ex-husband, the reigning champion at the time, gave me some great advice that I've used time and time again in life. "Stop trying to beat your opponent. Just play the game well and let your opponent beat themselves." That year, I won the tournament and got my name on the trophy. 

At the end of the day (gotta throw a buzzword in there), here's MY point. Your words may not ever improve a situation. Let the opposition bury themselves. More often than not they don't need your help and you don't want to look just as bad as they do. Simply think before you speak. Better yet, don't speak at all. If you want, express your words to yourself or your immediate peers, but don't let that get out of hand to the point that you're gossiping or snitching. And for the love of God, keep them out of the public eye. Once you set them free, you can't get them back. Onlookers will have a hard time differentiating the good guy from the bad guy. 

P. S. ...

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Snitches get stitches and end up in ditches."

That is all.