Tantrums

(Zion National Park, USA)

When very young children experience negative emotions and don't know how best to express their needs, they act out. We recognize it as a "temper tantrum" and try to understand. It's best when we can calmly communicate with them to determine the root cause, to fully understand the situation so we can address their needs.

What about adults who throw "temper tantrums" on the internet? Perhaps too much unresolved pain, stress or disappointment has built up in their lives. They act out by leaving unkind, angry, unchecked comments wherever they are allowed. What do we do with them? What do we do with a presidential candidate publicly throwing tantrums and repeatedly using the kind of language that we would not allow our children to use? People behaving like this seem to forget that while their comments may exist only in the virtual world, the damage they inflict is for real. Words have power.

I am not wise enough to come up with a solution for the world at large. I can, however, make sure to safeguard my personal cyber world. I choose not to expose myself to unfounded or poorly conducted news reports, inappropriate language, biased emotional outbursts, etc. Allowing that into my life would be to unintentionally propagate it further. I can stop it here.