Hot takes like pancakes? everyone speaks in the virtual world, but you don’t need to listen to all of them. Three years into the pandemic, our lives carry on as we continue to pivot online. In this world of fonts in neon colors and grids of blinding lights, everyone seems to have a comment on something. It would almost seem like our statuses, tweets, and posts are diamonds to keep—except they are not, and not everything that shines is gold.
You may indulge yourself in blaming it on free speech since that, in itself, is your right, and we live in a free country. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. This also applies to what we read, hear, and see online. Going into the seemingly never-ending online real estate requires some filtering. You can’t just take it all in. One needs to create an internal funnel system to weed out the ones that could either harm us or distract us from being productive.
Many things online can inadvertently hurt us. Some of these things hide ill-meanings and interpretations through comedic presentations. Here in the Philippines, we see comedians use others as a reference of mockery for the sake of being funny. We have been so exposed to this kind of culture that we, too, do it in real-life situations. But this, my friend, is one of the many things we need to mute, if not get rid of. But this culture is a topic for another day. For now, let us focus on the issue at hand, the seemingly harmless urge to get our takes on specific topics validated by others.
How does one avoid falling into the abyss of validated hot takes?
Social media platforms tend to become echo chambers. Some of us stick to one platform because we often get like-minded opinions. Our thoughts and ideas get validated in a niche-like environment. Of course, if you are only hearing and seeing the things you agree with, it creates some sense of confidence that you are right. But just because people agree with you does not necessarily mean you are right. Just because your opinions gain traction through likes, comments, and shares doesn’t mean it’s the absolute truth. Sometimes, when we fall into the black hole of our validated opinions, they become too noisy; we fail to see that there are other opinions that matter—that there are some discussions we need to hear to challenge our own beliefs.
And that is the key to avoiding such—challenge your ideas and sentiments. Listen to what others have to say. Be open to hearing varying opinions and seeing the bigger picture with it. When someone calls you out or challenges your takes, welcome it by understanding where they are coming from. If there is anything, you will benefit more because it allows you to widen your horizons and expand your thinking process. Hear what others say and when they don’t make sense to you, ask further. Engaging in educational discourses is a great way to learn new things and gain a deeper understanding of things.
Time for some mental floss; come out of your shell.
Do not be afraid when others challenge your ideas. Instead, engage by creating a discussion to widen your knowledge. If you keep getting validated by the same group of people, in the same platform, who speak the same language you use, maybe it’s high time to navigate away and search for an environment that could challenge your beliefs, or the lack thereof.
When you start noticing that you only hear the same opinions, sentiments, and ideas as yours, it might be a sign that you are entering into an echo chamber. They sound good, and at times, they make us feel good but don’t go crazy seeking comfort in the familiar. Challenge how you see and understand things.