20 Ways to Brighten Your Year With Mindful Wellness

Courtesy Comedy Central

8. Acknowledge someone’s point before saying where you disagree

This is one for all those internet debaters out there. Sometimes people say something so outlandish online, you just have to walk away. Still, there’s other times where people may actually have a point, and I think that’s really good to acknowledge every so often.

This is a technique I’ve picked up by being an online personality for an embarrassingly long time. I like to stay as neutral as I can, but I don’t  fence-sit. I’m happy to give you my opinion and I don’t mind if you disagree. If someone finds his or herself in a debate with me online, what I’ll always try to do is see things from their perspective. If I don’t agree with anything they say, I simply tell them “I see your point,” before vaulting into my counterpoint. It’s much harder to be angry at somebody and say things you don’t mean if the person you’re arguing with is polite. But of course with anything, there will be jerks online, and instead of engaging, it might be time to just close the browser and find something else to do.

We are clearly a divided nation. Each side seems to be obsessed with their side “slaying” or “destroying” the other. Yet what I notice is both sides are saying this. So who’s really winning if everyone is destroying one another? The less divisive language we use, the better off we’ll be. That’s not to say you can’t joke around with your friends, but there is a way to handle folks and yourself as you venture out into the primordial ooze the internet can be sometimes.