Some people are gifted in how they engage angry, bitter folks.
These gifted people aren’t just empathetic, they are curious, and this helps them nudge these bitter folks to a more joyful state.
Sadly, I am not one of these people.
Now, granted, some of these skills of engagement can be learned, (and I have learned them, at least enough so that I am able to approach most of these folks with neutrality). But I have worked with physician colleagues who have “the gift” and it’s one I just don’t have.
So what does this mean in practice, now that I am writing full time?
Well, I only really run across these chronically angry folks online via social media, and I always choose to disengagee with them.
I do this as respectfully as I can. For example, I mute them on Twitter, rather than block them. But I don’t engage them.
It’s simply not worth it.