When a person is asked about what it means to stay safe on the internet, some of the things that come to mind include not getting acquainted with strangers unless there are mutual acquaintances nearby so you could get references about the person you are talking to. Some say be careful about what you share, and some say do not use the internet at all. I am sure you can think of many more examples. In this post I will talk about some of the things that might help you be prepared in any situation, such as knowing the worldview of a person, knowing when to part with someone, what to do when you are parted, when to leave the internet, and more.
How to know a person’s worldview: First of all, what is a worldview? A worldview is how a person looks at life, at you, ad everything in general. In this example we will use this question, if you drink a full glass of water to half its capacity, would you say the glass was half-empty or half-full? Why or why not? To begin with, a person can say the words that they are there for you, that they are open-minded and willing to listen, even though they may not have your perception. In my experience, I tend to socialise with those who I think have the same interests as I, until I start talking about how I can use transhuman efforts to change reality. They argue that people like ourselves live in a fantasy world because they perceive reality, which is what life is. These people are known as realist to pesimist. If I have to choose, realism leans in neither direction between optimism and pessimism. I tend to stand to the left of realism and lean closer to optimism which is why I would neither say the glass was half-full or half-empty, but if I had to choose one it would be half-full. Usually you don’t realise the truth of this person until you get their side in an argument of any sort. What that argument is doesn’t matter. It could be mind over heart, good versus evil, hard versus soft science, etc. Sometimes, you can get used to talking to the person until you learn the truth about them (their true colours), and then you would be faced with a decision. Should I part with them or not? What good will come out of doing one of each?
The first thing to keep in mind is, how and why was this person made to view the world this way? I am inclined to think that we could change a person’s perception if they were willing to keep a positive outlook and we bore no ill will. I am not social, but I am not antisocial. I am simply asocial for many of these reasons, and in my experience, both socialists and antisocialists are not as smart as asocialists because they act more than they perceive. If a person with a pesimistic perception said they would like to work with others, that might be hard to imagine. I have met professional counsellors, doctors and nurses who had pesimistic attitudes, and you can tell right away that they sound and act authoritative, blunt, and impatient,and not at all caring and sympathetic. These are just some of many traits that I have noticed, though I am sure you can think of more. A lot of people get the words bragging and showing off mixed up. Bragging means you are proud of your accomplishments, can be acquired under certain circumstances, and showing off means you either consciously or subconsciously behave in a manner that represent that you are better than everybody else. Being at the top of the food chain can turn celebrities narcicistic and snobby.
So, how should you deal with these chaps? To be honest, that would be up to you to decide, but knowing whether or not you are a conformist or nonconformist will ensure that you know what to look for and how to respond. Some people start out being open-minded, but as they build a crowd of four or more people, their attitudes are changed, either to maintain their status, or because they were probably brainwashed by their peers. This is what they taught us in school–how to avoid peer pressure unless they have compelling evidence for doing so. When I discover that such an individual is pesimistic, and if they start getting heated with my opinions, and they don’t agree with me in a respectful manner, then I will not yel or bash at them using harsh words, but I will part with them with words of advice, and if they need another reminder, I’d tell them the truth about me, saying that I am not cisgender, and they should get off their computer and do something that involves serotonin production, or something that is sure to make them more right-brained instead of left-brained. I heard that some people are proud to be complete left-brainers, though. One more piece of advice: If the person you talk to thinks correcting other’s spelling is rude, you should probably end your relationship there. I encourage that you correct other’s spelling and grammar on the internet as long as you are doing it in a noble manner.
When should you part with someone: Usually, you feel the need to part with someone because you do not agree on something, or several things and you have an argument over problems that both of you would like to solve, but you have your own way of solving it and they have their own way of doing theirs. Sometimes you have to part with someone because they are annoying you and making you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes you want to part with them so they will not be able to tell you anything more hurtful. Whatever the reason, there are ways of knowing when you should do it, and how you will feel about it afterword. Remember, never be hard on yourself in thinking you are weak just because someone bashed your dreams. It is always true that when you are in control of parting, you feel triumphant and glad to be rid of that person. Sometimes, however, that is not always the case. If you get used to knowing the person and the two of you were very close and you talked about things you were interested in until you discovered that this person betrayed you and you are forced to part with them, you would feel like they were the ones who parted with you even though that’s not the case. Some people are out for revenge, others just hurt inside. Whatever it is, there is comfort in knowing that you are not alone and that there are safe havens where you can go to talk about it and to know that there are biological ways of easing off the pain, such as neurofeedback, brain wave entrainments, etc. Still, one thing remains. Never say things like, just drop this trivial nonsense without first having settled the feud, otherwise you will end up with the fact that the argument still hangs above you leading to tension.
What you should do when you are parted by someone: If you were parted by someone, you usually feel ashamed and guilty because you tried to press your point and the person didn’t listen to reason, and why that was the case you could not figure out. This section is not going to focus on what you should do if you were parted because you kept on arguing with them in a foolish manner even though the person disagreed with you. This is nearly focusing on the wise aspects of knowing that you didn’t do any form of wrongdoing. Let me give you an example. If you ask your partner if they are doing all right and they don’t reply and you keep on asking them, you obviously get worried and concerned. If your partner, however, decided to part with you in a surly manner because they felt like you were asking them too much, then it shows that they were the ones who did the wrongdoing, not you. You were simply wanting to know if they were all right, and they got rid of you because they had too much to deal with. If something like that happens, you will undergo several stages of emotions. Again, there are safe havens that you can go to, and meet other people who have gone through what you went through. It’s hard to talk to someone who hasn’t undergone the experience whether it is relevant to yours than it is for someone who has been through what you went. They will usually get annoyed and push you away because they also have frustrations of their own. Some people say harsh things to you, others change the subject. This is because they don’t have the ability to perceive others, another point I should remind all of you. You also don’t know what words to use to sum up the way you feel inside in a way that you can transmit the sensations across the internet, and again, you are worried about being humiliated. If we could peer into that person’s mind, we could feel what they are feeling and it would help us understand so we can better sympathise with them. So I ask myself, what can a therapist do that a friend cannot do? While friends mean well, they often give you their unwise piece of advice. Therapists undergo a lot of training to guide their clients into thinking positively. So, let’s just agree to disagree.
Opinions: If for some reason you and your friend can’t get along because you get on each other’s nerves about your opinions and theirs, then you should ask yourself, am I ready for their opinion? Can I know for sure it is what I want to hear because they think they know the answer when they could be wrong? They could ask you if you would like to get their opinion. If they just tell you their belief, it could be as bad as if they were constantly forcing their opinions on you. There are several ways to skin a cat. This is why we ask that you back up your opinion with other sources, references, etc, to show them why it is you say so, but this is no excuse to get heated over something and have them bashing someone else. Remember, we can learn from each other if we are willing to work together. If you were speaking at a lecture and you told the audience there was only one way of doing something, few people would understand you, but if you said that there was more than one way, the more ways of doing something, the more people would understand.
When you should leave the internet: Whether you are leaving temporarily or altogether depends on your circumstances, but you should know that retreating from the problem might show others that you are cowardly and not willing to fight back. Sometimes you have to lie to others about why you want to get away from the internet just so they don’t pester you. There are ways of remaining invisible and still talk to those whom you really trust and avoid those whom you hold at arms length. This is a moral and ethical decision you will have to make on your own. Should I lie or be honest about why I am leaving the internet? Think about why you are doing this, as well. The words may not come to you immediately, and it might take you some time to come up with just the right way of putting it. If you are afraid to face the problem from which you ran away, get allies who care for you and ask them to help you face it and fight for you. Remember, if you think your problems are worthy of listening, continue talking to a different person each time until you eventually get a positive response.
Here’s another piece of advice. Never blackmail someone just because you don’t want others to know about your experiences with the drama you were in. If you don’t want your acquaintances talking about you behind your back, you have to agree on it together. You simply just cannot make someone do what you want them to do. We just feel like we need to talk about it because it is a way of letting it out rather than keeping it all inside. There are safe ways of doing this, though. Some choose to play a game on their computer or console, especially games that involve violence just so that they can get out their frustration and anger in a safe manner while others do the opposite. The important thing is to separate games from real life. Your decisions you make in a game shouldn’t reflect those in reality, for they might have consequences. If you can’t do this then you have self-control issues, and I am sure that transhumans will find a way to fix that. Whatever the way you deal with the situation, be strong.