Hurt People, Hurt People: Lessons from Echo
Kem Meyer nailed it.
So did Carlos Whitaker.
I’m about to nail it, too … Stop hatin’. Yeah. Stop hatin’.
I’m here at Echo 2010 down in Dallas and the “talk of the town” has been the vitriol on the Echo Twitter feed.
- “I don’t like Donald Miller. His message was bad. I don’t get it.”
- “This speaker was boring. I’m going to play video games on my iPad.”
- There are even reports of people starting up fake Twitter accounts just to randomly bag on the people and places of Echo.
I don’t get it. I really don’t. You know what I hear when I read these tweets? One word: “WAAAHHHHHH!“
Here’s the thing, most people would never say in person to someone else what they say on Twitter. Never. For all the people who were bagging on Donald Miller last night, not a one would say it to his face. People may think they’re cute and funny, but there’s another word for it: Cowardice.
Yeah, cowards.
Here’s the thing, the people you’re dogging on online are real people. They may be on a stage, removed from personal interaction with most of the people in the audience, but they’re real.
They read the stuff you type and it hurts.
They go back to their hotel room and think, “What did I do wrong?”
A God-breathed message gets put on the shelf.
Something underneath the surface dies a little, even if they don’t notice it.
I can’t help but think that the people who perpetrate this social assassination strategy have something seriously broken in their own lives. “Hurt people hurt people,” as they say. Bitterness is bred in the bed of jealousy and envy. It’s classic schoolyard bully tactics: “I am insecure, afraid, and alone. I see people who are not. I will try and cut them down to my pitiful position.”
You may think you’re cute. Or funny. You might think you’re “bein’ real” or satirical. But you’re not. You’re hurting people and deep down, I think you know it. So you have to ask yourself, “Is that the person I want to be?”
I don’t think it is.
I think you want to be someone better. Someone greater. Someone who has something to say. Something that brings life and not death. Yeah?
This is a good post that I would break down a couple of different ways.:
1. I think we are seeing the supersaturation of the celebrity culture in the church represented in some of those tweets. People place high expectations on these people because they were given a huge plug to begin with for people to pay the $180+ to attend this conference. When that person doesn't match those already high expectations, people react with harsh disappointment.
2. Our generation (18-35) wouldn't know how to honor another person if it hit them in the face. Honor is a huge thing missing from the Christian culture today and it shows in the way people talk about one another. I may not agree with Jon Acuff, Donald Miller or even the great Justin Wise but I have had to learn how to disagree without making that person look like a complete heretic. I am not quite there yet but I need to value each of those people and their voice in the church but I try not to post anything that I wouldn't say to your face. Of course, some people are surprised at what I will say to your face. =P
Honestly, here is my big ask for you Justin. Find one of those people, take them aside privately and just ask, “I saw that you tweeted this yesterday and I wanted to know if you would say that to their face?” Just say it came across really harsh to you and it bothered you. Maybe it will change the way they think for just a moment.
If we are not willing to confront people with honesty, then how do we expect to change the culture? Just a thought.
YES!!!
Its such a relief that I can throw away my collection of, “did you see what @JustinWise was doing?”
Just joking. I have the utmost respect for you and I think you know it. Amen brother! Great post. Glad you are having a good time at Echo. I love the team at GCC (Kem, Mark, Tim, Mark, Rob, Michelle, Jason, Seth, Dan, the list goes on).
i was surprised when i saw some of the #echo10 comments, especially the people comparing Don to Acuff. It seriously felt like they were trying to foster jealousy or pit people against each other. pretty sad.
other than that, I hope Echo was amazing.
Yea. It's the stuff man. It's the stuff.
Wish we could have hung. Saw you were there only after I left.
I still gotta make it out to IA
Ben … Good observations. I think you're spot on with the honor comment. Sad. Maybe we can be two dudes who help rebuild it?
Also, the hard part about confronting others is the whole anonymity factor. The worst offenders from ECHO were people who created fake accounts or were tweeting under a church name. It's hard to call people out if you don't know who they are. That's why, as I noted, they're cowards. Hiding behind a digital screen!
Nothing like the support of my wife!
Chad … How do you know the GCC folks?
It was a weird vibe all around. But yes, Twitter grumblies aside it was a great time!
PS – Throw me a freaking bone on WWF sometime.
Word. Our day soon will come. Iowa will be quick to receive you into her ample bosom.
YES!!!
Its such a relief that I can throw away my collection of, “did you see what @JustinWise was doing?”
Just joking. I have the utmost respect for you and I think you know it. Amen brother! Great post. Glad you are having a good time at Echo. I love the team at GCC (Kem, Mark, Tim, Mark, Rob, Michelle, Jason, Seth, Dan, the list goes on).
i was surprised when i saw some of the #echo10 comments, especially the people comparing Don to Acuff. It seriously felt like they were trying to foster jealousy or pit people against each other. pretty sad.
other than that, I hope Echo was amazing.
Yea. It's the stuff man. It's the stuff.
Wish we could have hung. Saw you were there only after I left.
I still gotta make it out to IA
Ben … Good observations. I think you're spot on with the honor comment. Sad. Maybe we can be two dudes who help rebuild it?
Also, the hard part about confronting others is the whole anonymity factor. The worst offenders from ECHO were people who created fake accounts or were tweeting under a church name. It's hard to call people out if you don't know who they are. That's why, as I noted, they're cowards. Hiding behind a digital screen!
Nothing like the support of my wife!
Chad … How do you know the GCC folks?
It was a weird vibe all around. But yes, Twitter grumblies aside it was a great time!
PS – Throw me a freaking bone on WWF sometime.
Word. Our day soon will come. Iowa will be quick to receive you into her ample bosom.
I would say it to Donald Millers face. Other than that very good points…
Tim used to live in DSM (Graduated from DSM Baptist back in the day). I have been to the Granger campus twice as well as attended Mark's class on first/lasting impressions.