Deleted

We live in a culture that promotes self-idolizing and cutting out anything that is toxic for self, including and especially other fellow humans.

A huge part of this culture thrives on Facebook, and their activities involve a lot of self-protective actions such as deleting or blocking or unfollowing anyone that disturbs their self-centered bubble. Of course, the way to guarantee one stays blocked is to usually let them know ;) 

Not always, mind you, just often. 

Because revenge is sweeter when the other person's face turns sour. 

Some of you may be shocked to find out I have been part of the "toxic" rubbish that had to be deleted out of some people's bubbles. Others of you will be like, "Yeah, I'm not surprised. Actually, been thinking of deleting you myself."

Thank you to both sides of that spectrum, because you all bring a smile to my face ... with the first type of people, I smile out of encouragement and joy, with the second I smile because you are so stupid it's hilarious. 

Pardon my bluntness. Except I actually don't want forgiveness. So Scratch that. 

Satire aside, I thought it'd be fun to talk about why I've been deleted off of Facebook (no it's not for using the name Jesus or Yeshua as I prefer, sadly enough) and why I don't delete people. 

Why I don't block or delete people on Facebook or other social media: 

Actually, let me first take a moment to say that I believe there are times to delete or block people, especially block. But that time is rare and done out of actual necessity, never hate. When someone is an actual threat to your life, definitely take all precautions including but not limited to making sure they can't harm you or anyone else. 

"But someone causing harm to my mental health is just as dangerous as them actually hurting me physically." 

Yes. And no. 

There is real mental abuse. 

And then there are those that take anything and everything as mental abuse. 

I know some people pour and receive all of their energy online. But they don't need to. 

I can see a stupid idiot on my phone, and scroll to allow that person to continue being a stupid idiot. I can even receive a message from said person and reply politely without becoming bent up over it. I can see something I disagree with it, and I can even make it clear I disagree, but I don't need anyone to conform to my ideologies to make my beliefs secure for myself or to settle my state of mind. 

I don't need to delete anyone to have a pleasant fifteen minutes on Facebook. 

I do need to be loving to all, to spread God's truth and words to all, and to be a shining light of Yeshuah's character. 

I do not need to stomp on anyone in the process. 

In fact, I shouldn't even be thinking about me when I'm online, but what I should be doing, which is using my time as a way to follow God's commandments. 

I don't delete people because it's not loving. 

I don't block people because it's immature. 

I will occasionally unfollow someone if their posts are indecent, but I never shove it in their face that I've done so. 

I also don't accept every friend request I get on social media. In real life I am friends to all people I come across, and if anyone talks to me online or offline I will reply and act friendly and lovingly. But I'm not going to "friend" every person I don't know to only continue not knowing them for some number game ... 

... except I do play one small number game. My dad and I have this thing where we are competing to see who has the most friend requests (that we'll never accept). Once I was way above him, but now that he has got into politics he has me beat by hundreds. I think I have around 150 friend requests right now ;p 

I've certainly accepted a lot of people I wish I hadn't accepted. Mostly because I now have so many online friends that crowd my posts so it's hard to see all of my good friends' posts, without scrolling for hours. But I don't delete those people for two reasons:

1. I tried once and almost every person messaged me saying, "Hey, we somehow aren't friends anymore and I really love your posts."

Like, you never reacted to mine ever. I didn't even know I was only your radar. But, I'm sorry. 

2. It's too late. I've already told them yes, so I can't go back now. Besides, at this point, I actually don't know who is or isn't "invested" in what I post. And I don't want to be one of those people that cause unnecessary wounds. Because deleting people can and does cause offense. 

And now for the fun part ...

Reasons people have blocked or deleted me:

• Because I am a girl (seriously, this guy went through his friends and deleted all of his friends that were girls. It's funny to tell now, but at the time it was really hurtful because I thought we had a close platonic friendship)

• I did something, or said something, or possibly associated with the wrong people? Again, maybe funny, but at the time it was REALLY hurtful because I considered her a good friend. To this day she won't tell me why she blocked me on every social media. 

• Because I am my parents' daughter. My dad is into politics, and my mom is conservative. So both relatives and distant friends have deleted or blocked me just because of who they are, not because of anything I've done. (At least I think so). Some of these people have been aunts, so that's painful ;0 

• Because I am a cyberbully. Lol. For this one, I actually got a message as an explanation. I actually never had a chance to be offended, because I laughed so hard. The person trolled a post of mine, and instead of replying to their heated comments I laughed reacted to them. Humor is offensive to most people these days, I hear? Either way, the person did apologize, something that I neither expected nor needed. But I thought it nice of them regardless. 

• Because I was too painful to be friends with anymore. I probably shouldn't share this, because I actually should have deleted the person myself, but couldn't. And even now I'm not sure that was the right course of action, and I'm glad now not to be friends because we were basically transitioning into a breakup and never having anything to do with each other again. So yeah, hard stuff and Facebook got to be the intermediator ;p 

• As far as I know, I've never been deleted for my own politics or religious views (but then who knows?). Which really has me shocked. Because I've always been told to expect such things. 

• ... except for what I said about coronavirus on Facebook was too emotional for them. They never even tried to argue with me. Just said they couldn't be friends anymore ;p 

• And then ... I have been deleted for saying I hate dogs ;p Sidenote, this person later apologized. Again, I neither expected nor needed an apology, but it was still nice of the person all the same. Either way, I hold nothing against said person. 

Have you been deleted or blocked? For noble or comical reasons? What's your stance on doing the same to others, and why?