Okay, now is the time for a HUGE “BUT.” BUT…
This is only half of the story! Too many people stop here, and then feel they can share whatever they want, as much as they want. This is where our conscience can be a helpful guide in discretion so we’re stewarding our public platform and voice with humility and integrity. There is a huge value to thoughtful restraint in online venues!
Here are some questions I’ve found helpful for myself in navigating these complex waters:
What is the focus of the content I’m sharing about? Is it ultimately all about me and what will help me? Or does it point attention to other people and issues?
This is one of the biggest questions around which I see a lot of confusion. Someone could write about nothing but their own life, passions, struggles, and dreams on Facebook, Twitter, or on a blog. And that could certainly reflect a fair level of self-absorption…no question about it. Or that same person could be using those venues to bring attention to other people, causes, or issues that are bigger than them, and so on. But there’s a big difference between the two situations, although the same person is writing and sharing that content. In other words, just because somebody shares their own content doesn’t mean they are only trying to promote themselves, regardless of the focus of the content. That would be a very cynical way of looking at things. But I think there’s a healthy way to steward one’s voice, to point beyond oneself — to things that matter to other people.
This ties a little bit to a deeper question:
Who or what do I represent?
It might seem like a strange or silly question, but think about it! Because sometimes when we realize that we represent not just ourselves, but our family or organization or culture in certain contexts, our responsibility is to them as well. So we may be called to put ourselves forward as spokespeople at certain times, when everything inside of us might be screaming, “I don’t want this!” I’ve been in some situations where I knew that my actions to represent others would appear self-promoting, and I knew that nobody would understand my true motives. And I had to be okay with being misunderstood. In a strange twist on self-absorption, sometimes we have to lose our self-consciousness in order to put ourselves forward and do the right thing in those cases.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not prone to the temptations of ego. I definitely am! In that light, here’s another question:
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