Open mouth, insert foot?

Sometimes, when Someone Is Wrong on the internet, you feel a need to speak up, and clearly, fully, and with big, long, wordy babblings. I’m not sure you should ever respond to this need with anything other than a glass of water and a few episodes of Dr. Who. Otherwise, you might be compelled to not only respond, but respond with authority, righteousness, and vigor. Repeatedly.

Crap.

I should never be allowed to comment in a public forum. Inevitably, I will push too hard, and ultimately feel like a complete idiot. And then, there are my words! Immortalized on the intarwebs, for all to remember that my GOD that woman is self-important and dramatic!

That woman being me, I mean.

See, someone on FB linked to a post, and from there, I read half the guy’s website, because I was intrigued, but then there was link surfing, and then POW there I was, on a site where someone was writing an advice column. A question came up, involving relationships and behavior, and I felt that the person giving advice did not just a poor job, but a wretchedly offensive one, and I gave advice of my own, and chastised the columnist, you know, just to round out my poor choices.

And then, when they responded? Did I close my mouth? No!

Because, you see, I was right.

God help us all, I was right.

DAMNIT.

I opened my big mouth even WIDER and now… Now, no doubt, someone, somewhere, is reading that, and in their lovely little mind is fomenting a delicious, acidic, scorching case of Someone Is Wrong On The Internet And I Must Tell Them. And they caught it from me. 🙁

The issue still being that I think, in this case… I’m right. It’s just that I’m not sure it was in my best interest to be so passionate, so vehement, and I certainly could’ve been less arrogant about it.

Crap. Crap crap CRAP. Crow tastes like CRAP.

Ugh. When, lovely reader, do you stand up for something that is important? Always? When it suits? When you can be dramatic? When you think you stand the chance of being best heard? When you’re pissed off? When you’re right? When do you open your mouth, and when do you decide to not bother, even though you feel as though ‘not bothering’ is only making the situation more tenable for something horrible?

Do you chastise bullies? Do you tell other parents not to yell at their children in the store? Do you shake a disapproving finger at jaywalkers? Do you scorn those who spit on the sidewalk? Do you vote for equal rights legislation? Picket? March? Boycott? If you saw a man beating his wife, would you stop and try to help? What if you only heard it through the wall? How do you know when to act?

What’s an acceptable action? When is it acceptable? What is it all right to get worked up over?

I fear I have no scope — sometimes it seems all things, from the cereal going stale to mass murder in Cambodia, can rile me up and make me feel like I Have Something To Say and I’m not sure I have EVER said anything that made anything different or better.

Usually I just end up feeling a bit stupid, and hoping that no one noticed me.

Thoughts? I’d love to hear your take on this.

About Catastrophe Jones

Wretched word-goblin with enough interests that they're not particularly awesome at any of them. Terrible self-esteem and yet prone to hilarious bouts of hubris. Full of the worst flavors of self-awareness. Owns far too many craft supplies. Will sing to you at the slightest provocation.
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