On The Topic Of My New Evil Internet Troll
It Can’t Rain All The Time
It Can’t Rain All The Time
Recently, I posted an article about my interpretation and analysis of Chapter 20 of the Chinese classic text, Tao Te Ching, and shared the link on Mastodon as I have done before. I’ve written about one of the book’s chapters and spoken about my belief in Taoism. Still, perhaps it was due to the different emotions I put in my article that one of my Mastodon followers trolled me for the first time and unfollowed my account. Medium doesn’t allow posting screenshots, so I’ll enter what was said below:
LOL I luvs a good dad joke. Like studying water for fish. Or commentating on Taoism in another language, culture and experience.
We are all Dada now. All the whey to the baby Banksy.
Where than to find our wise Tom and Jerry foolery? knot tiktok, nut instagram or other drugs, allergies and unwholesome behaviours.
mmm [puts on tin foil hat, thinks shallow thoughtings] … maybe in the garbage the crazies go through?
We are the selfie made minion heirs. Stroking our knoses
At first, I was a little upset for having to deal with someone attempting to say I’m essentially too white and of the wrong culture to have my belief system come from another country. I find this hilarious because I can only think of three religions America has created.
Mormonism
Scientology
Flying Spaghetti Monster
So since I’m neither of those three, I guess I should consider myself out of luck, and so should every Christian, Muslim, and Jew in America.
Now, I could sit here at 3:30 am and be upset, but one of the great things about most eastern philosophies is their teachings of letting go. I watched a great YouTube video once where a Buddhist monk was teaching several children when one of them brought him some flowers in a small pot. He spoke for a few minutes about them to his class and addressed that while he is very thankful for them and will put them in the window for sunlight and water, he will need to let them go eventually. If the monks kept every gift they were given forever, the entire temple would be full of them.
In the same way, you can learn to do this with your emotions. It’s ok to feel angry, but eventually, you’ll need to let go of that anger. Growing up Christian, I was taught “forgiveness.” But I’m not too fond of that word. I don’t forget or condone negative actions toward myself or others. I also don’t accept that I must keep associating with you afterward. However, I admit to not being angry or sad and allowing those emotions to leave my mind.
When you receive a negative comment or if someone would like to troll you online, welcome them forward. I responded to my troll by stating I was open to learning if they were open to teaching. Unfortunately, the troll did not respond.
I’ll gladly listen to anyone willing to share their thoughts and journey with me. Whether that goes against what I believe or not. The universe is a big place. As Yin and Yang contradict each other, so will our journeys. My path through life and the lessons I have learned will sometimes counter your path and the lessons that you have learned. That’s ok!
Remember that we all come from the same place and end at the same destination; Tao. For billions of years, your troll and you were together and have only recently become separated. This separation has caused your differences to grow and widen, but soon, you two will return to the source of all things together until perhaps part of you becomes something else entirely.
So to my troll, again, I’d like to offer, if you’re willing to teach me about your culture, I’m glad to listen.
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