How to handle hate online

This past week has been eventful. I’ve started growing on Instagram, and lemme tell ya, it’s... interesting.

The growth has been insane (20,000 followers in a month), but so has the amount of hate I’ve received.

People calling me a “ritard”, idiot, full of shit, and all kinds of other nice names.

So that’s sparked today’s topic. Dealing with hate.

I’ve been writing online for close to 2 years now. Over that time, especially at the start, I’ve dealt with a good amount of hate.

And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me back then.

It made me feel like an imposter. It made me question whether I was on the right path.

Hell, I specifically remember one time where I had around 70 people gang up on me for a comment I made against socialism.

That was fun.

Now?

Hate in the comments bothers me much less.

Partly because I got used to it. But also because I adopted a specific mindset toward it.

I’m not writing to attract everyone.

I’m writing to share my thoughts and connect with others who share my values.

• Freedom

• Humour

• Mastery

• Openness

• Pineapple pizza

My writing is a signal for that.

And when you make noise, you’re going to attract all kinds of people, including the wrong ones.

But that’s okay.

Because if you’re not polarizing, you’re not doing anything significant.

For example, Trump, Martin Luther King, Kanye West, Muhammed Ali, or Conor McGregor. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they all did significant things.

They’re all polarizing.

Another way I think that makes me laugh: nobody who likes themselves or has anything going on in life logs on to social media and hates in the comments.

I mean, think about it…

Can you see Warren Buffett hopping on Twitter and shit talking other investors for their stock picks? Bill Gates calling people idiots for using Apple products on Instagram?

People hating have nothing going on in life, so they feel a need to bring others down.

When I frame it that way, my anger goes away. I actually feel bad for them instead.

Those who can’t create, criticize.

So fuck ‘em. Keep doing your thing.

Your Canadian friend,

Dakota "Ritard" Robertson

P.S.

If you enjoy my content (or want to see people hate on me in the comments) shoot me a follow on Instagram. A lot of my posts are repurposed from Twitter, but I go into more depth in a way I can't on Twitter in the description.

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