People often see a headline and react to it without ever reading the article. In fact, I have noticed (often) in far left and far right leaning publications they will have a very inflammatory headline and then you read the article and it says almost the opposite. It’s almost as if the headline were commentary and the article is the story.
This also happens when people have opinions about a link they never follow. Example: I posted my Alpha Male podcast last night. If you haven’t listened to it, it basically talks about men who are insecure how they use the ape-like “alpha male” approach to suppress, demean, or control others. So, this podcast was partially inspired by a particular person on Twitter who likes to mansplain and cloak things in his religion.
I posted the link to the podcast to him and let him know he inspired it. Someone, retweeted my tweet and wrote: “can stupid brainless males PLEASE stop making podcasts omfg 😭😭 screw covid, male pdcasts are the real pandemic going on rn” - they then followed up with “like if ur ideologies r shaped by someone like brain suave i have serious concern for ur cognitive functions.”
Now, granted I could have put quotations around the word “inspired” when I told him he inspired my podcast. But this person also could have actually gone to the page of my podcast or listened to it before rendering their opinion of me. But, of course, all they saw was the title of the podcast, “Alpha Male” and they gave their commentary. I don’t fault them. This is social media life. But I encourage everyone to think before you act, look before you leap, and read or listen before you offer your opinion. They may have drawn the same conclusion after listening to my podcast, but at least it would have been an informed conclusion.
Stay safe and be kind.
