The internet is not reality. There is only one reality and that’s the one we live in physical places. The internet is not a physical space, it’s a filtered reality.
This truth is best illustrated by my favorite quote from our 5th President, Abraham Lincoln.
“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
Lincoln’s words remind us that the internet is full of bull, some subtle and some not subtle.
I’m grateful for the connections the internet affords us but as of late it has created more distance between myself and others. It has created more distance than closeness because the internet is not real, it’s a filtered reality of highlights and omissions.
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How to feel like a failure
If you want to feel like a failure it’s very easy, download Instagram. It’s the easiest place to literally see a filtered reality. I don’t fault those who post to Instagram for distorting reality because Instagram is not where we should look for reality.
Reality happens in person and when we’re honest on-line.
How can we be honest on-line?
Tell the truth of your struggles, your wisdom and your unmet dreams.
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Live streaming your next argument with your spouse on Periscope isn’t a good idea. That’s not the reality you should be sharing. That’s sacred space. Using Periscope to teach others about how to find middle ground when you do have an argument with your spouse though, that’s a beautiful example of using the internet to bring reality into focus.
Writing a blog post about how you’ve found an answer to a common problem, that’s using the internet for sharing reality.
Maybe you’re inspired by perfection. We sell aspiration. We sell unmet expectations. We sell potential. If the goal is to connect though, stop selling all the time. Use the internet to encourage, connect and inspire.
If you want to encourage, connect and inspire then do it using honesty. No filters necessary.
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