Toward a smile or a frown

Has everyone calmed down yet?

It does seem that since the initial knee-jerk reactions that we have come to expect whenever something large happens on Steem, people are starting to settle the emotions and get back into thinking a little more clearly. The invested Steem community is nothing if not hot blooded.

This is a good thing in a social media as it generates interest and is very engaging, but it generally isn't conducive of rational thinking in most people. If anything, on the internet it is kind of like a digital mob mentality that is burning cars, throwing trashcans through storefronts and looting. Great for the news channels, not so great for the community.

Having said that, for those who are invested into Steem, it is these kinds of events which bring a large range of people together and open a lot of discussions. From these, people get to hear new views from people they may not interact with normally and perhaps build a better working model for themselves. While people think that endusers have it tough here on Steem, at the core level it can be very complicated technically, but even more so socially, as everyone has their view.

I have views too.

For me, I am more of a wait and see person in these kinds of situations and have largely removed myself from the initial conversations on the topic, as I have found that there is very little gain to be made with too much speculation in a room of emotional people. Sometimes it is better to get some distance and come back with a clear mind - and when a little wind has left the emotional sails in others.

I am not an overly emotional person in these kinds of situations myself, and while I do get those stomach ache feelings at the news, I see it as an indicator of emotional investment, not reality. While I emotionally invested into Steem and many of the people here, I see the community and the economics as somewhat separate entities, even though they are intimately entwined.

The markets being driven by sentiment is true, but this is the case of every decision we make in life as while we may not believe it, our emotions are the largest influence on our choices. It is why they say to not grocery shop hungry, as one is likely to overspend and make buying decisions based on the feeling of hunger, not what is actually needed. Emotions make us look for satisfaction to a craving and will input all kinds of things, even if the outcomes are not in our best interest.

I have been in enough relationships in my life that there is no going back on some of the things that could come out in an emotional outburst, even if it wasn't meant, even if one truly says sorry afterward. Words are spoken actions, and can often cause pains worse than a weapon. At least for some people. So, I tend to walk away.

There are two reasons for this. Firstly, walking away for a time gives me the chance to process and clear my thoughts so as to return stronger. Secondly, if I am emotional it is likely that the other party/s are emotional also, and I would rather take away the opportunity for them to progress into something that they can't take back. Sure, everyone can act as they please, but as mentioned, sometimes things can be said in the heat of the moment that are not well thought out and maybe not even believed.

Emotions can be wonderful and terrible. And it is likely due to the want for more of the wonderful, people do not spend time learning how to control their emotions, leaving the door open for the terrible. While I am not a psychologist, I think anyone spends any time observing people will see how damaging negative emotions can be on those concerned, circumstances and any knock-on effects that are born from that point. Of course, we are all human. Mistakes are made by us all. Something to remember the next time someone else makes a mistake.

Now, I do not know what is going to happen on Steem with the change in Steemit Inc ownership, but I do think that it is going to be okay. The thing is that while it is going to cause uncertainty and likely bring up a lot of new challenges in the short-term, it has the potential to be value generating in the long-term given that it could bring some stability to the development team at Steemit Inc to increase the speed and stability of releases, but also give those releases a marketing budget that extends beyond the borders of the Steem blockchain.

The other reason I believe it is going to be okay is because I am going to be okay, as is everyone else. No ones life should depend on Steem, and if it does, a person has much larger issues to deal with in their living processes. Steem is not a job unless one makes it, it s not a savior or a charity, it is not anyone's last chance in life.

Steem is still a social experiment that has the potential to marry community interaction directly to an economy that supports that community in a feedback loop, without middlemen. On Steem, there is governance, not governments, there are costs, not taxes. To participate, there should always be a level of give and take with those who only taking weeded out from the community.

Part of the problem of the world today, is that once we moved out of the tribal situations where one always had a role of reliance on others and the responsibility to provide support to others, it became easy to hide. It became easy to be reliant while being able to shirk the yoke of responsibility to be supportive.

Technology has further created the divide between the two and made many of us much colder socially and even fearful of socializing - even if what we crave is intimacy as humans. And, as said above, we can look to satisfy those cravings with unhealthy behaviors that are contrary to the betterment of our own future.

It seems many of us have fallen into the drama trap where we think emotional outburst is a sign of our passion without realizing that real passion is doing the work to find real solutions to our troubles. We end up caught in our habitual behavior, rather than being attentive to the results of our habits. While we can all say as I also do, to each their own, in a community situation, ones actions affect others in the group, and that will be met with reaction. The question is whether the reaction is going to generate a positive or a negative reaction.

A smile or a frown.

While I think that the Steem blockchain has the potential to approach and solve many of the community and social issues we face in the world, I also know that it is rarely going to be an easy journey as we approach it from so many angles and with so many agendas. However, perhaps if each of us goes in with a smile, we will find that regardless of our disagreements, there will be the space to collaborate and advance together.

No matter the circumstances, there is always space to smile.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]