The Impending Epidemic of Repost Disease

It's a world of constant change out there with almost daily innovations; technological and otherwise. We scramble to some degree to keep up, lest we miss "the new norm" and are labelled "not with it." Because if we get that label we all know the people who are "with it" think they can eat us for breakfast.

While we play catch-up, it's relatively easy to fake it by tooting slogans du jour from the social media influencers or industry gurus and a lot of people do just that. And keeping up posts and discussions by reciting the teachings of the famous, the powerful and the anal retentive is common practice. But this seemingly harmless but highly infectious behavior is a slippery slope. You may just find yourself suddenly in the gutter, nursing a six pack and sniveling uncontrollably. Because you now have the dreaded Repost Disease. BS levels go through the roof, the drooling begins, knuckles drag on the ground beside your desk and you find yourself only able to post what other people tell you to post. It's so prevalent lately, I've been getting worried that maybe I should be stockpiling vaccine.

Don't get me wrong. I like BS in moderation. I think it can be fun and recreational. But heck, if I'm going to spout BS, which I do (especially on this blog) I'm going to make sure it's my own, it's obvious (i.e. not disguised) and possibly a tad funny.

"BS is not just telling lies or stating untruths for one's own benefit. It's also attempting to portray oneself as someone you're not, or always following the crowd, or sharing opinions that somebody else tells you to share. And Reposting Disease is the bottom of the barrel." ~ (me)

I suspect, as shown in the chart to the right, the more BS people spew is inversely proportional to the amount of trust they garner. In other words, the more BS people post, the least amount of trust you have in them. And I don't know about you but I don't think that's very healthy. In fact, the badly afflicted Reposters are not far removed from those who only say what others tell them they should say in real life. It's something akin to the cashier at the register with the glazed eyes who hands you the receipt and says, "Thank you for shopping at Walmart" or "Have a nice day." I find myself wishing they'd say something real. I love going into a store and hearing a cashier complain about their shitty day. It means they're human. Then, the next day hear maybe what their dog did that made them laugh. This means not only that they are alive but they are their own person with their own lives and that to me is a plus, because I don't want them to be a Walmart clone zombie living a Walmart zombie life.

Personal opinions, discoveries and expressions of individual wonders are healthy, do not normally require preventative medical care and are the stuff of which innovation and progressive thought is made of. Feeding the interaction online in a personal and informed manner spurs other people on to think, respond and grow themselves. And maybe, if you can; you should. And if you find yourself constantly reposting, try posting something original...

...before we're all overwhelmed by posts from people who are just saying what they've been told to say by people who tell people what to say.