You read something. Maybe on a conservative’s post, maybe it’s a meme you disagree with. Maybe it’s someone attacking something or someone you hold dear. You read words. That’s all you did.
But those words…they were WRONG! They made you think about something that was against your beliefs, or annoying, or insulting, or obnoxious. They had the facts screwed up or they don’t know what they are talking about.
And so your heart rate jumps. And your brain starts kicking out anxiety chemicals and fight or flight signals. And your anger and frustration levels rise. Your internal voice starts a response that includes choice words and not so choice exclamations. And your blood pressure spikes, your breathing gets shallow, your shoulders rise and the stress hormones course through your bloodstream.
Your digestion stops. Your antibodies take a dive. Your internal organs go on minimal support functions…and your fingers get ready to tap out a major defense of your position.
You ramp yourself up to respond to this impending threat upon your person-hood and all you hold correct and true. You must correct for the injustices of their opinion! You must attack them for being wrong! You MUST speak your mind and put this writer in their place!
But they ARE in their place. A million miles away. maybe even yesterday, somewhere behind a keyboard, typing out words in the past.
And they have YOUR entire endocrine system under THEIR control, if they know exactly what words to type.
Ask yourself; do you like this?