I can mindlessly reply no problem. But in the few times I’ve stopped myself from replying, I’ve asked, “will this post and potential replies bring me any value, be it educational, entertaining or similar?”
Sometimes I can be pretty mean and stubborn in real life, so I actively try to not bring that here.
I gave up on Internet arguments a while back, felt like I was getting too old. Most of us are grown ups here, so we should all act like grown ups here.
Often but not as often as I used to on Reddit. On Lemmy, I do feel more of a sense that I can contribute to the conversation and hopefully will be met with more respect than the other place.
Find myself reiterating something that was already said. Arguing a point nobody cares about. Entering a discussion that I know will not go my way regardless of what info I provide, because even Lemmy has a Hive Mind sometimes and doesn’t like dissent. Realizing half way through writing it that I don’t really know enough about the subject and should just shut up. Or maybe I just think my comment won’t offer anything that contributes to the discussion.
I guess most see it as a bad thing. As waste, or resignation. But here’s the good story!
It can be a fruitful inner dialogue. While writing the comment, you engage with the topic, which changes your mind. That’s a healthy and good thing! If in the end, your result is “I’d rather not post that, because …”, then this reason is the insight you gained by writing that comment.
Sometimes I realize flaws in my reasoning this way. And I’m happy to catch them! Imagine if it was not asynchronous written conversation, but real time face to face.
Of course there are many reasons to delete a draft. If it’s mostly insecurity, I’d encourage people to give it a try. Experiences are what bring you forward, and if it’s only to learn what not to repeat in the future.
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