Should We Step Back and Shut Up?

The Shinkasen train can go up to speeds of 603km/h. This Japanese bullet train, as the name suggests has bullet-like speed. On a day-to-day basis we are bombarded with information, coming at us, head-on like a Shinkasen train.

Technology has made connectivity easier, with faster internet speeds, bigger phone screens and an ever-increasing social media space. From breaking news to sports news, to online gossip; we are moving from one piece of information to the other, like the internet was an infinite skipping rope.

We live in a time where we don’t fully understand what is going on around us; rather we don’t have time to sieve what we consume. What is fake news, where is the truth? For example, we hear the news about a bus attack in Lamu, before we fully consume that information Soleimani is killed in an air strike, Miguna is stuck in an airport in Germany, your favourite team has lost and rumours of the coach getting sacked spread, do we have time between receiving all this information to think about what we are consuming?

The information overkill has devastating effects. Our hearts get fatigued by the constant bad news, and we end up being numb and desensitised. The ability to speak without consequences has made some also feel invincible, hiding behind the mask of a social media account. And with all the data social media platforms generate, it’s almost impossible to control what is on there.

The first-hand information received is usually accurate, but the streams of information that come after are usually filled with bias, propaganda and ignorance.

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” Harlan Ellison. We usually react to information we get on social media without understanding context, the back story or trying to understand what the messenger is trying to say. Maybe that’s why someone labelled the Twitter community a ‘Noisy minority.’

Some take on different hats, feigning emotional intelligence and acting ‘woke’ by going on Google to find facts to win an online argument. It doesn’t matter if the topic is wide and would take time to listen, read and process the information, all that matters is getting snippets of information on the internet to bring an online stranger down.

We should go beyond our emotions, and keep quiet and listen or shut up and see. Then we can act or speak. Elisha’s servant after realising that an army had surrounded them nervously asked his master what they would do. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

The point here is that the servant was scared but all he had to do was to be still and see, trust God. This doesn’t only work in the divine but also is applicable in our relationships, work and life. It's always advisable to step back, listen and see then act. If we can’t get past our emotions our vision will be blurred and our actions may be regrettable.

It takes training to avoid acting before processing what we are hearing, or seeing because once we speak we can never take it back. And we won’t always get time to think things through, especially in an argument or in this internet age. In that case working on our temperament is paramount, or we can choose to just step back and shut up!