🧵 1/5 I often feel the need to start a blog ‘Against polarisation’.
Example: I come home from mowing. My TL is full of calls to stop mowing. This activism is good and important. BUT...
Those who have other needs are often bullied. People in SocMed often don't listen to different thoughts anymore.
I just mowed a far too high meadow in order to promote biodiversity. How so?!?
We had extreme weather. Two early hot summer phases have allowed plants to flourish that hold down anything less robust.
@NatureMC Thank you, great thoughts! Polarisation is one of the worst things in societies and social media, too, of course. Maybe it's about feeling insecure about things, so people tend to choose a side to have some company or understand at least this side. Sometimes you feel somehow muted and not heard at all by someone with a strong opinion. So you don't even try to take part in the conversation anymore. The shouting gets louder, even here.
@theappletree Thank you for your inspirating feedback! You mention some important points of this complex problem: Two sides instead of many seem to simplify the world. The peer group effect. Mechanisms used by gurus and dictators, reinforced by platform algorithms. Quota hype ...
@NatureMC I didn't post about mowing my lawn yesterday. I live in a community that has standards. I can't NOT mow. I can mow less frequently and less of my yard, which is what I am doing.
🧵 2/ Then the long cold spell with sub-zero temperatures: Anything with flowers froze off.
By mowing now, in my climate zone, after extreme rainfall, I help the spring flower plants get a second chance to bloom and get seeds. This helps the pollinators that didn't fly during the cold days when most flowers were in bloom.
What I want to say: Activism is great. But to differentiate, listen, and analyse a situation can help a lot!
SocMed is made for short statements and simplification. Sometimes
🧵 3/ it's important for getting heard. Sometimes it kills the sharing of knowledge. (A meadow in Virginia, India, Sussex, France, Siberia or Australia is not the same. Even in one region we have so many different meadows depending on soil and water.)
It's only one example. I often wish that we tell us the stories, not the statements. Many people do it, they show their photos about the struggles and successes with rewilding, searching for tips or giving gardeners' advice.
This thread is not about
🧵 4/ meadows! 😎 They are only an example.
I could talk about the media. So often I read only sweeping judgements: "THE media are". There is no such thing as THE media any more than there are meadows. There are such and such.
By catering to the excitement of polarisation, we make it even harder for the quieter ones to be heard. Why do many share so few good experiences? The way I talk about dandelions, I can link to good articles. I can give a voice to those who are doing their job properly.
🧵 5/5 But whoops, where is the great arousal then? What do I do when I'm not constantly upset or nagging? When I share stuff that moves the world forward and stimulates thinking? Quite simply: then I'm relaxed enough to lie down in the meadow. 🤫 🤭
PS: I differentiate. Of course, a loud rant is also good from time to time. But chopping wood could better help some persistent whingers. 😎
@NatureMC
That is so true! Due to my jobs, I had to learn to listen to different interests and finally find a solution, often a compromise. So my brain is conditioned to hear every time to all the arguments. What is good once, often doesn't fit to the next problem.
It takes time and reflection and knowledge and experience.
Every extreme position can create severe conflicts.
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