5.16.2014

respect

The blogging community is so diverse, and that's one of the things I love about it. There are people from all over the world. People in every stage of life. People with jobs that are completely different from one another. We have different views, opinions, beliefs, and outlooks on life. No matter what, there's always going to be someone that knows exactly what you're going through. That's the beauty of blogland. No matter what you believe, there will always be someone to support you. However, with that, there are also people out there that won't always relate to you. Whether its just on one post, or on your beliefs in general, not everyone has the same outlook. Which I also think is pretty amazing. It's always so interesting to me to read people's comments, especially when there are disagreeing viewpoints. I love that our blogs give us a place to talk about controversial topics and see both sides to certain topics. But I think that there is one important aspect that some people neglect, and that's respect.



As bloggers, we all have a voice. Usually by reading as little as one post, you can tell what kind of "voice" a blogger has. Some blogs are full of sarcasm, some are serious, some use inappropriate language and talk about the dirty details of their lives, and others are very proper and keep it "professional." It's what makes each blog unique. But I think that there's a very fine line between being funny or sarcastic in your voice and being disrespectful.

Especially when approaching controversial topics, I think its important to keep other's beliefs in mind. If you are against something, or don't believe in something, there's obviously nothing wrong with that, and there's nothing wrong with sharing your opinion. But whether you're for or against a belief, I do not think that it is ever okay to be offensive to those with opposing viewpoints. There is a way to present your opinion without belittling others and mocking their beliefs. It saddens me to see people share their thoughts in a way that makes a joke of the beliefs that they do not agree with. It saddens me to see bloggers disrespect one another. Whether it is intentional or not, I think that it's pretty easy to tell if what you're writing could offend someone, right?

Just because you do not believe something does not mean you should mock what others believe. It's disrespectful, and sadly its something I've seen many times throughout the blogging community. If you choose to discuss deep and controversial topics on your blog, you have to consider all aspects. You have to be ready for people to fire back, and you can expect some to agree with you. Voicing your opinion is of course not a bad thing, but doing so in a disrespectful way is inappropriate in my opinion.

This also goes for readers. So many times I've come across a blog post flooded with negative comments. And sure, people will be nasty. It is the internet, after all. But as bloggers, people in the same community online, I think that we need to support and respect each other. Obviously you're going to come across things you disagree with, but there's a way to express this without being disrespectful.

Obviously, I don't make the laws of Blogland. There aren't really "rules" to blogging, of course, but there are things that I believe bloggers should abide by. It an amazing thing that we get to share our lives and our beliefs with each other, but in the end, if there isn't a mutual respect for each other and our beliefs, then is it really even a community?
 photo signatur_zpsbbec9269.png

10 comments:

  1. I totally agree with you-as a blogger we often have too many opinions and some don't respect that. It sucks, but sadly it's the way that it is:
    Natalie @findingmyownvoice7.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do honestly think that you're not just born with respect. You give respect and you get it,but some people think that they can behave as they like and still deserve respect, which isn't true.

    But in terms of belief systems, politics etc I think that it's only fair to respect that others do not believe as you do but they believe in something else which is good enough for them and not criticize or mock it.

    Did this post stem from Two Thirds Hazel comparing God to Santa and Jesus to Dumbledore?

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is so completely true. Unfortunately, some people don't seem to understand respect. The fact is that everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs - if you have your beliefs and expect people to respect that, then you have to show that respect to people who have the opposite opinion as you as well. Be respectful. Differing opinions doesn't mean you have to attack someone and hurt them. It's just wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was reading a blog a couple days ago and the person was writing about something that is usually taboo. She tried to use humor to, I guess, lighten the seriousness of the topic. Instead it just came off as offensive and tacky :( I thought about privately messaging her and explaining from my perspective as someone who had the opposite opinion of hers why what she wrote might be considered rude, but then at the same time I was like this is her blog and she should be able to write what she wants.

    It is a balance though and I think if you choose to go there with certain topics, you need to be sensitive.

    -Jackie
    http://ournashvillelife.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. yes, i totally agree with you!! i don't understand why people feel the need to leave negative comments in the first place. if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I completely agree, I have come across several blog posts that have really rubbed me the wrong way because of the disrespect the person had for other opinions. I really enjoyed this post because it's so true, respect is so important.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Could not agree more! I feel like if you have a negative comment that is only going to hurt someone's feelings is it really necessary to write?? Oh and I just want to say that I will have the R-E-S-P-E-C-T song stuck in my head for the rest of the day!
    -Marley
    http://www.afandlove.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree. I think I know who/what are you talking about!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree, I know exactly what you're talking about. Everyone's different, that's what I love about blogging. We all have different opinions and thoughts on different things, it's interesting and insightful to hear them all. I love this post.

    ReplyDelete