I had thought about this in the abstract until one night, when I experienced it on a miniscule level. Following people's actions in the 21st century internet realm was impersonality incarnate. The followers had the equivalent of a one way mirror into the lives of the subjects who put forth portions of their lives to the public. The chief amusement lay in sending minor messages to the originator of the entertainment, hoping for a "wave"or acknowledgement from said person.
On the night in question, Falchion Malacandra sallied forth to analyze a lukewarm offering from an entertainer who he had followed for about 6 months. He didn't particularly care for the information, for it was not the fare that he had come to expect from the entertainer. However, he intended to support the entertainer in whatever they did and left an ambivalent message below the thread.
He was soon notified that he had received a reply from the person, and was overjoyed that his contribution had been noticed. The message he read was not complementary, and he was booted from the fan page. This confused him, as he didn't think that he had said anything inflammatory or rude, just that he didn't spout praise and adoration.
This mild form of rejection was like a bug bite to me, but all the same, it got my attention. Why did I follow this person? The internet was so impersonal as to lose the intention of communication. It was hideously ineffective at capturing body language and tone. Emoticons were a poor substitute for the nuances of unspoken communication.
If I had not been rejected in this small matter, however, there would be no stimulus to reevaluate my course of action as to why I did what I did. Small things lead to bigger consequences, and while I was more amused than hurt, it made me reconsider how I was spending my time.
Even more so, if I continued using the internet as a medium of communication, how could I make myself clear? I hate being misunderstood, and to do the same injustice to others is hypocrisy. Michael Pearl described hypocrites as those who know good, want to do good, but don't follow up and expect others to live up to what they struggle to accomplish.
We have all been hypocrites at one point, and I will try to improve upon this fault. A wise friend once advised that it is not possible to live up to my ideals on my own. I need the guidance, patience, and support of a Savior to lift my eyes beyond my petty interests to the light and truth of a full life. I went through the list of internet personalities whose lives I had followed and began to scale back my time commitment.
There are richer things in life in which I can invest, and I thank that one irritated person for notifying me sooner rather than later, that some people are not interested in my interest.
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