Idea for the Day: Make Every Thread a Fresh Start

[Flannen]

We all have different ideas and opinions and sometimes these disagreements can lead to lengthy, and somewhat heated, discussions. This can often leave a thread left with a "bad taste" or with some tension between members. Sometimes there might be an urge, especially if a topic has been closed permanently, to continue in another similar thread, or fuel the disagreement into a new topic. I don't think anyone will deny that this is sometimes an impulsive and natural feeling, but is it really necessary?

My thought for today is about really trying to make a distinction between threads and entering a new thread with a fresh and clear head, no matter what might have happened in previous discussions. My concern with not doing this is that you will ultimately only disadvantage yourself. Steaming into a thread with a particular mindset that has been influenced by the outcome of another discussion, could really hinder your full appreciation of what's being discussed and might even influence your own contributions that you will later come to regret. Alternatively, that member you might have just got a bit heated with in a shipping thread, might just be your kindred spirit when it comes to your passion for social change, and what a shame it would be to miss out on making that connection?!

Let go of what has happened in other threads and move on to the next discussion with a fresh and positive mind. If you're someone who can find this difficult then taking a quick break from the board, logging off and finding something else to do for half an hour, is not a bad way to get those positive vibes going again. It's something I made a conscious decision to start doing a year or so ago and now I find it comes much more naturally which just makes me enjoy this place even more! 🙂

 

[Nix]

I think this is very important to do. A fresh start and no bad feelings between people.

 

[zobothehobo]

Such good advice that I need to really learn to follow. Thank you so much for this.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Awesome thread, Flannen! 🙂 I agree; I often find it hard to "let it go" and when I do, it's better for me to just take a break from the board for a while. Sometimes I'll vent my frustrations by creating new fanart, or I'll just go watch some TV for a while til I forget about being mad.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Yeah - I've been known to not read pm's for days if I know they're going to make me angry lol. I leave them until I know they won't.

🙂

 

[Flannen]

Another thing I used to be really guilty of was seeing a thread and thinking: "Oh, here we go again" or "Well, I know what this is going to be about" which used to just put on the back foot before I'd even seen the OP. Now I try to be more open minded and look for what new things might be in it and not go in with an assumed perception of what I'm going to find inside. Or, like Darla said, wait until I'm in a better frame of mind to be like that.