I have several FB friends who really do nothing but complain. Day after day. Post after post. Every single status update is a great big woe-is-me. I'm not talking the occasional vent. Or even those times we all go through were it seems like everything in a day or two goes wrong. I'm talking about people from whom I can't remember reading a positive status. So my status is I had no idea what sort of ruckus that would cause! The first response that 'slammed me' was Then came the private messages. and my favorite Am I wrong here? I mean, I struggle with negativity and I vowed about two years ago to only surround myself with people who were uplifting. I don't need gripe-fests. And it's impossible to encourage these people! They do the 'yeah, but' thing no matter what you suggest. So am I really being unchristlike by refusing to allow my Newsfeed to be full of constant complaining?
I don't think you're wrong at all to distance yourself from the constant negativity. Yes, those are the people that Jesus would spend some time with, but He would NOT "ta-ta, poor baby" them constantly! He'd tell them to "quit your kvetching, already! and go do something to help somebody else!" Tell them to "Do what I do and tell it to Jesus! because I have my own stuff too and I've listened to yours long enough!" Shake the dust off your sandals, sweetie.
Amie, you have to do what is best for you and your family and if they don't understand and defriend you they weren't a friend anyway. Some times people can go on and on about things that about blow you away. I wish you luck.
I had a friend on Facebook that complained about most everything. Things in her life weren't the best, but everything was negative. One day she was complaining about her daughter whining and someone called her on it and told her that her daughter learned it from her. She doesn't whine nearly as much now. As for your point Amie, I think that it is fine if you want to separate yourself from negativity on Facebook. Now I don't know about hiding someone, but if the person wouldn't know they were hidden I might just hide the complainers without posting a status update on it. But then again your boldness might be a wake up call for some complainers.
you know I have folks like that on my friends list and I hide their posts without mentioning it. And really, life is hard sometimes. But I wonder at times if their bad attitude might be causing their difficulties or at least contributing to them. Life does pile up on you sometimes. But there are a million people in the world whose live stink worse than most of us. It's just that many people want to camp out on the negative...I think it's just a ploy for attention or something. If your stressed at work...at least you have a job. If your parents are beginning to fail...at least you didn't grow up in an orphanage someplace. Your kids have emotional problems...how many millions of parents suffer from infertility and cannot have their own biological children? Your vehicle is falling apart... think about 200 years ago when people had to walk everywhere, and in other nations all over the world they still do. Your house is falling apart??? How many people in depressed areas are losing their homes? It is all about perspective. I know how you feel Amie, you can look at the negatives or the positives. I try to focus in the positives and weeding out people who cannot do that helps me in my own journey toward contentment.
Thank you ladies. Some people just started making me feel like a horribly Christian for not wanting to attend everyone's pity parties.
I read your status and wanted to copy it! LOL There is one woman on FB that I knew from high school. I saw her again at our 10 year reunion and she spent the entire time complaining about her kids, husband, job,...Now on FB she has regular profanity laced complaints about how everyone takes advantage of her, men are jerks, everybody on those FB games are cheating and on and on. She's been married and divorced 3 or 4 times and when I read her status updates I can understand why. Not only that, she then goes on to spout "Christian" comments about leaving it up to God. I'm really confused! Thanks for reminding me that I don't need the profanity and negative stuff every time I read FB.
I know I complain more than I should on Facebook, but I sat and thought about it a second and I think that what we all need to do throughout the day is: *Look at our children beside us and think about what our life would be like w/o them, and then thank God they are with us! *Look at the roof above our heads and thank God that we have shelter from the sun, rain, and snow. *Look at our support system: Husbands, Wives, friends, parents and thank God they are with us to help us through a tough time, and that we can be there for them as well. *Look into our heart and know that we have a savior and a protector that we an trust in when times of hardship are upon us and feel comforted that he knows what he's doing and will be walking with us on this rocky road.
I hate negativity, too- and just the tasteless statuses. I have a rule. If I wouldn't say it in front of my kids, I don't want it on my page-from anyone. I hide lots of people who I never would have expected to say the things they have.
I told you to stop judging me! HAHAHA:lol: Oh, and no...you are faaaaaar from wrong! I swear some people just wake up offended or with a ruined day. We all have them, but really, everyday? Uh, no...I, too, distance myself.
As I hate confrontations, I wouldn't have been brave enough to post the comment about constant negative comments being hidden. However, I have very strict guidelines for who I "friend" on FB and what will get you eliminated. In order to be accepted as my friend, you simply have to pass one test. If I saw you across the street and would cross it to say hi - then you get to be on the list. The only exceptions I have ever made to this rule is to the wonderful women on here whom I've never met in real life. I remove a person the first time profanity is used - no exceptions. Don't allow it in my home or on my computer. I also remove people if their comments are nothing but hurtful to me/family or invade my privacy. I have removed a grand total of 30 people over the last year and only one person even noticed or complained. (and there is no way my MIL is getting back on my list - I can't even tolerate her in the virtual world ) Bottom line - hide or remove anyone you need to. It's one thing to uplift the occasional need, but another to drown in negativity.
Wrong ..no. The way you said it ..yes IMHO. If I was your "friend" On FB I would have second thoughts about it. Who cares who complains and how long ? Either don't be there friend and tell them in a private message, hide them as a friend on FB , just skip over ther post or maybe call them and say "hey I noticed a lot of negative stuff with your posts do you need someone to talk to?" Then again I'm very picky about who is my FB friend, I don't even have friends from high school that I might have reconnected with on there. I'm not friends with people in my homeschool group either. If people are negative in real life they are negative on facebook too, I just don't need that..but I'll be a shoulder and ear for you when you really need it. It just could have been dealt with better or not in "public" (on your page so openly). I would have dealt with each person personally through private message or just not have them as my facebook friend in the first place because this this probably not the only time that they have been negative.
One thing to think about.. if you un-friend someone in fb, they do not know it, no one gets thier feelings hurt and those who chose to complain can complain all they need to without a problem. I have done this in the past, unfortunately we all have someone in our lives that will live for complaining. Many times even trying to fix, help or encourage they have already hardened thie rhearts to it, and Him in the process. to the person who did the wwjd, I don't think I read any real complaining in the bible but for Eccleseasties ( spelled grossly wrong sorry). And maybe David complained a little.
For the record, I hid the person (meaning I made my posts unavailable to them, but did not unfriend them so they could still message me or see pictures) before I posted that. I didn't get specific. And I was venting in the process. I honestly don't see anything wrong with what I did. I mean, if I'm going to ignore someone, I have the decency to tell them I'm ignoring them and why first. I think it would be horribly rude to simply hide someone and not tell them. And rude not to warn people what will happen if they do likewise.
in my case the person was using fowl language that may have offended my younger readers and offended my sence of decency. I have also found that you can hide someone but it does not always stick. I have asked people to refrain from certain types of talk because I have teens on my list as well as adults, some christian some non, I try to be kind to all but there are sometimes I just can't take it anymore. I have also found myself re adding people who have unfriended everyone on thier lists before for various reasons so I think its an okay thing to be deleted now and again lol
I really don't know anything about facebook, however, I don't blame you. You know, they say, "if you want to see who you will be five years from now, look at your friends, today." Anyway, I would get tired of it too and not put up with it anymore. I don't know if you could have handled it different, like I said, I don't know anything about fb, but I think it was fine. I think there is times God takes people out of our lives, if only for a short time, so that we will turn to Him. Maybe this is what they needed.
I was in a rush earlier, but what I was trying to say was that if I was going to ignore someone for being negative, I think I went about it the right way. I just was questioning if it was OK to ignore someone for being negative (does that make sense?).
I'd have to say, I'd say "yes, it's ok to ignore them." I have a friend that when I see her name on Caller ID, I ignore it 2 or 3 times so that I can prepare myself to listen to her complain about everything.
