It's ok really [RANT]

saracelica

saracelica

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saracelica
Can we just stop being envious of what others have and or do? I mean it's one of the deadly sins.

Facebook "friend" posted his trip to Arizona. Beautiful pictures. All the comments were man I wish I did that or wish I traveled like you do.

Well get off your ass and go...do.

You don't know someone else's story. Facebook is a hotbed of posting only good stuff. But it happens in real life too. What someone works to be able you do is their business. Maybe my friend went $10k in debt I dunno. My only thought was arizona eh hope you quarantine for two weeks when you get back.

So stop being envious of someone else's choices.
 
saracelica said:
Facebook is a hotbed of posting only good stuff.
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Funny, my FB feed is a hotbed of posting only bad stuff (specifically, bad stuff about those with political views opposing the poster).
 
One of many reasons I'm not on Facebook. Or Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. I probably shouldn't be on here either, to be honest, but I do really, really enjoy the ban on political nonsense.

Its getting to the point where I have difficulty even being around people who are frequent "social media" users. They almost invariably start spouting some patently ridiculous political and/or conspiracy nonsense of one flavor or another -- for which absolutely no disagreement or skepticism is tolerated. I have to work hard to ignore, deflect, and actively avoid topics that would normally have been no big issue, but now will lay waste to decades long friendships in minutes. It's insane. And I'm not talking about one end of the political spectrum or the other. Disciples of all sides seem to have gone equally nuts.
 
Hopefully I can take all my future children on the adventures that I’ve seen. It’s truly a blessing to be able to visit as many countries and places as I did. Some people are truly envious but I think the most people are just saying, “hey that’s pretty cool that you’re able to do that.” Now the people that own their own airplanes...that’s a different story:)
 
I avoid social media and posting to it. I could make life seem way better or worse depending on how i phrase or show something.

I could post a picture flying into socal beautiful sunset and a nice outdoor dinner at a Mexican restaurant. People would be like oh your jobs so cool. The reality i got in after a long day walked from the fbo across to the hotel and googled food open near me and went to the nearest non fast food place. Before going back to the hotel to crash for my 6 am show.

I could post a picture of me smiling flying a shiny private jet. Reality is i lost my regional pilot job i lovedand had to move 1200 miles for work, and am getting abused flying 135/91 for decent pay but terrible qol.

Lifes great and life sucks. Depends primarily on how you look at something.
 
I try to be judicious about posting my adventures, since I know I have many friends who are unable to do things that I can do because of limitations due to health, finances, or time. Many are on the older side so, sadly, health is a barrier for many.

What's annoying is when someone sees a photo that I've posted and turns it into something political even though whatever they're thinking never entered my mind. I have a relative that does this; the only relative that follows me on Facebook.
 
DaleB said:
One of many reasons I'm not on Facebook. Or Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. I probably shouldn't be on here either, to be honest, but I do really, really enjoy the ban on political nonsense.

Its getting to the point where I have difficulty even being around people who are frequent "social media" users.
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I'm wondering if you were looking over my shoulder as you wrote that post. I also avoid all of that "social media" that ain't very sociable. I've asked my family and friends to keep any mention of me off of their social sites. Seems to be a lot of reasons for folks to hate one another and nobody is any longer entitled to their own opinions, and if you ain't willing to put your business in the streets then sumfin is wrong wid ya.

I wake up happy and joyful everyday and I don't need all that static in my life from drama queens that have nothing better to do than either waste their lives watching someone else live their life (reality TV) or loudly insisting that I must live my life according to their way of thinking.

I don't sit and watch TV, and news is something that I seldom look at as I'm reminded of the line from the John Prine song, "Hello In There" when he writes:

And all the news just repeats itself, Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen ...
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I guess that's one of the reasons I'm so thankful for aviation. A few thousand feet in a solo cockpit is a wonderful social event for me ...

WOW! I almost got a little rant going there for a moment! :goofy::goofy::goofy:
 
saracelica said:
So stop being envious of someone else's choices.
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There’s a line where jealousy ends and envy begins but the old definitions of each have gotten blurred.

Saying you’re jealous that someone got to do something and hope to do it yourself, not as bad as being envious to the point of wanting them not to be able to do it because you can’t.

And a whole linear spectrum from “fully content” through “mild jealousy” to “eat the rich” levels of envy is available to anyone in how they choose to behave.

“Awesome trip, man I wish I could do that!” vs “Look at you flying all over when I can’t!” — very different things on that spectrum.

If looking at things others do makes one feel inadequate — probably time to get off the internet and do some stuff. If you feel happy for them and would simply like to do what they’re doing when circumstance permits, cool.
 
flhrci said:
Its this thing that people on-grid use for communication (self-gratification and complaining.) LOL You must be off-grid! :)
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Honestly, POA is the only social forum that I actively participate on. Occasionally, Strom Troopers motorcycle forum. I have been spending even more time since I stopped watching all forms of mainstream media. Very occasionally, I will use my wife's FB account to access Marketplace.
 
I had a guy I used to work with (he was terminated for reportedly stealing) that asked me several times if it bothered me that he made more money than I did. I don't know that I ever convinced him that I could care less what someone else makes.

I'm thankful to have a good job with enough and some spare. If you do well that's great! My hope is that you deserve it because you got it honestly. Most of the people I know that make a great living aren't very loud about it at all.
 
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Morgan3820 said:
Honestly, POA is the only social forum that I actively participate on. Occasionally, Strom Troopers motorcycle forum. I have been spending even more time since I stopped watching all forms of mainstream media. Very occasionally, I will use my wife's FB account to access Marketplace.
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I abandoned all mainstream social media a few weeks ago. It’s not easy. As part of my 12 step program, looking at POA at least 3-4 times per day has been therapeutic!
 
Daleandee said:
I wake up happy and joyful everyday and I don't need all that static in my life from drama queens that have nothing better to do than either waste their lives watching someone else live their life (reality TV) or loudly insisting that I must live my life according to their way of thinking.

I don't sit and watch TV, and news is something that I seldom look at
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I can't stand watching the news on TV any more. ANY of it. Nothing but non-stop COVID, panic, hype, and political posturing no matter what you're watching or listening to. There used to be a few sources I thought were pretty well unbiased, but even they have taken a very distinct and unmistakable political tilt over the past few years. I don't care if their political leaning agrees with mine or not, I want my news source to give me the news, not tell me what my opinion of it should be. Online sources are even worse -- all the political agenda without even the mildest attempt to disguise it as "reporting".

Anyway... I used to post on Twitter, until I realized that there was absolutely no reason at all to do so other than narcissism. That's the only one I even dabbled with. Not having a Facebook login is a slight inconvenience at times, since a lot of businesses now have no other web or advertising presence... but in most cases it's no loss that I can't contact them, to be honest.

And if I care about where you went on vacation or what you did last weekend, we're probably talking on the phone once in a while anyway.

So get off my lawn. :)
 
It isn't the things I did that I regret, it is the things I didn't do that I regret as I approach the end. As Andy Rooney of CBS TV said..." Life is like a roll of toilet paper...it always goes faster toward the end".
 
I have never had facebook or twitter, learned what tictok even was just last year. Including Pilots of America I belong to 4 forums, the other 3 i have lost interest in, and so only come here since i joined recently.
 
I dunno, I kind of enjoy when people share their good experiences and trips. And some of the bad ones too. As for the political bashing, you can just ignore it (I do.) In fact, you can ignore whatever you like, good or bad.
 
Timbeck2 said:
...I don't care what anyone had for lunch or where they went on vacation.
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turkey samich with tater chips and a brownie. oh and last vacation was to Florida. thanks for asking.

my intention for facebook was for FRIENDS and FAMILY only. you know, the people I'm supposed to care about and vice versa. so I would be pretty shocked if one of them got envious/jealous to a high degree.

but then work folks came along and effed everything up. I didn't want to be a doosh (although that's my specialty) and not accept their friend requests, so regrettably I am now 'friends' with a bunch of people I don't give a shyte about. and I learned early on after posting a few flying pics and getting some strange comments that now I limit the audience on those. actually I rarely post flying stuff on fb anymore, but if I do, I've created a 'work' friend list and I simply omit them from seeing the post. go ahead, give that a shot. for those that get overly political I simply unfollow.
 
DaleB said:
I can't stand watching the news on TV any more. ANY of it. Nothing but non-stop COVID, panic, hype, and political posturing no matter what you're watching or listening to.
...
So get off my lawn. :)
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not just "news" yeah - air quotes ... but almost EVERY TV show now has to incorporate the official agenda and shove the issue into our faces. I've pretty much walked away from TV anything ... well, not quite true. I was urged to watch Alone on History channel. Binged on the currently aired season 6. Now I'm trying to negotiate 6 months leave of absence from work. "I could do that!" I thought. Then I started on season 1 ... oops, first couple of folks tapped out after bear encounters within minutes (by way of TV editing) to nightly encounters with nothing separating you from Yogi except a tarp. Yeah, no - I like bears ... from a distance ... with me being heavily armed.
 
I have never been one to pick up a phone to chat or write letters, even before social media, therefore I lost touch with many (more like all) people from my past. Facebook has been a way to gradually reconnect with old friends and remember my past that I had previously ignored. In that way, it has been interesting and rewarding. Of course, some of them are into politics, so...
 
I stopped using Facebook a few months ago when it was getting close to elec. While I didn't deactivate my account and will log in from time to time when there's something directly useful for me (a couple of the groups that I'm on actually very good for technical information, for instance), I deleted the ap from my phone and closed the tabs on my browser. So now I just log in when it's useful and convenient for me. The lines of communication remain open, but my phone dings much, much less than it used to.

There are a few people who I don't keep in as close of contact with as a result, but we had alternate means of communication (or established alternate means).

I feel like my life has overall improved. Some people who enjoyed following my adventures that I posted up there expressed their sadness that they will no longer be able to follow them, but also understood why I was doing it. Facebook is something of a time suck. Yes, social media is what you make of it, but it's a lot easier to ignore threads on, say, here than a newsfeed.

My issues are as much with Facebook as a platform/company as with some of the inherent aspects of social media. I considered joining one of the emerging new platforms that address some of the former (in theory) but decided I'd just go without social media for a time. No regrets...
 
Ted said:
I stopped using Facebook a few months ago when it was getting close to elec. While I didn't deactivate my account and will log in from time to time when there's something direMy issues are as much with Facebook as a platform/company as with some of the inherent aspects of social media.
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There's that. It's bad enough when friends nag others to vote, but unacceptable when FB does. Same with FB offering to show election results whenever someone mentions the election. If I want to know the results, I'll get them myself. It was great being out of internet contact in the bottom of the Grand Canyon during the election!
 
Envy, like most anything else can either cause a negative spiral or spur inspiration. The person experiencing it is the only one that controls which.
 
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Ted said:
I stopped using Facebook a few months ago when it was getting close to elec. While I didn't deactivate my account and will log in from time to time when there's something directly useful for me (a couple of the groups that I'm on actually very good for technical information, for instance), I deleted the ap from my phone and closed the tabs on my browser. So now I just log in when it's useful and convenient for me. The lines of communication remain open, but my phone dings much, much less than it used to.

There are a few people who I don't keep in as close of contact with as a result, but we had alternate means of communication (or established alternate means).

I feel like my life has overall improved. Some people who enjoyed following my adventures that I posted up there expressed their sadness that they will no longer be able to follow them, but also understood why I was doing it. Facebook is something of a time suck. Yes, social media is what you make of it, but it's a lot easier to ignore threads on, say, here than a newsfeed.

My issues are as much with Facebook as a platform/company as with some of the inherent aspects of social media. I considered joining one of the emerging new platforms that address some of the former (in theory) but decided I'd just go without social media for a time. No regrets...
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Ted, you don't need to totally opt out. You can ignore the aholes and still connect with your friends and family. I have zero family members on FB but I do have many friends. I want to keep up with them.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Ted, you don't need to totally opt out. You can ignore the aholes and still connect with your friends and family. I have zero family members on FB but I do have many friends. I want to keep up with them.
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The last part of what you wrote has been the good side that I found with Facebook for many years. A couple months before opting out I did a significant purge of "friends", and of course election season is always a bad time for social media. I also went on a policy of blocking anyone who was a jerk. Make a jerk response to a post? Blocked. That did go a long way towards making things better.

But the other reality is that too many of my friends, good friends who I do enjoy keeping up with, were part of what was making the social media experience bad. Most of it was politics, sure, but most of those people were also making political posts the rest of the year. While I enjoy political discussions, I don't enjoy how they go on social media, and the fact that for many people, they think the whole purpose of social media is political posts.

Social media is about, like you said, keeping up with friends and loved ones, and also about communities where people help eachother. Sadly many (if not most) have decided it's about politics. Like I said, there are a few groups I'm on that are really good and so I log in from time to time when I have a question. I still think that overall, I'm happier and my life is better off without it.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
Seems to me one of the first signs that its time for you to step away from Facebook for a while is being annoyed enough to go to another forum and create a rant thread about what you see on Facebook.
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She's probably on Facebook right now ranting about the POA.
 
Beat way to deal with it is to automate your posts complaining about the internet and social media to go automatically to all social media sites simultaneously.

A little Python scripting should do it...

Add in code that adds a cat video to each as well, to keep the commercial consumer “free” internet doing what it does best! :)
 
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My rant is how long it takes to shop if taking a cute puppy along. About 70% of women, and 30% of men had to stop and pet him, and ask questions. But I understand, he really is cute!20210122_172708.jpg
 
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