"But I don't want to Hao Lian!*"
When I first learned about "building a personal brand" and "being visible online", this was the first thought that popped in my head.
*hao4 lian4 is a Teochew term used to describe a braggart, show-off, or someone who is unashamedly self-indulgent.
Growing up in an East Asian-influenced culture, Confucian ideals were infused into my behavioural expectations.
A key ideal in Confucian thought is that of humility. Clambering for attention and status are seen as dishonourable and crass behaviours. Above all, it is a cause for loss of ‘face’.
You can imagine how this would lead to me thinking that putting myself out there is no different from blowing my own trumpet, singing my own praises, proclaiming myself from the rooftops… you get the idea.
It wasn’t a desirable thing to do.
And when I examined a little more, I realised that I viewed people who were constantly clamouring for visibility in a low light.
I didn’t want to be like them.
Hence the resistance to making myself more visible online.
Now, obviously, the fact that you’re reading this suggests that something must have changed.
And something did.
I stopped all online activity for over a year.
Truth be told, I didn’t miss it.
Instead of agonising over what to post or what to show, I spent more time listening and reading.
Serendipitously, some of them discussed this topic, about being visible.
And I slowly started to see it in a different light.
What I used to think was “shameless self-promotion” and “narcissism” doesn’t need to be, as long as the intention is purposeful and useful to others.
Sure, there’ll always be people who take it wrongly, but that’s true of anything - whether expressed online or offline.
I started to see that letting others know what I know and offering information is helpful to them. It’s not about promoting myself and my views (though there is an unavoidable element of this in all public expression), it’s about sharing what I have.
Most people are clever enough to figure out the motivations behind your post, and if you share with good intentions, it’s better (and easier) to let them decide for themselves whether they want to read it.
So here we are.
It’s your decision.
Social Media is a Game Where You Meet All Sorts. Handling Them Isn't Easy.
Playing the social media game, just like any other, puts you in contact with thin-skinned people, poor winners, and sore losers.
I haven't personally interacted with a lot of these individuals, probably because I've been playing this game at a much lower level than a number of people that I know.
But I certainly see them posting on feeds that I follow.
I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemies, but the things that they say can be very amusing.
Seeing as I'm no social platform expert (not yet, anyway), I'm going to have to keep an eye out on how to handle them.
If you have a good tip for me, please let me know.
Sensationalism or Rationalism. There's a Time and Place for Both.
It's a lot easier to sensationalise and give skewed opinions than it is to rationalise and think an issue through before expounding on it.
One appeals to the emotions, the other to the intellect.
One is easy to access, the other takes time and effort.
This isn't to say that emotions aren't important, or that we should always take the most time-consuming, difficult path.
Of course they are, and of course we don't need to.
Yet, a lot of conflict and emotional upheaval can be avoided by knowing when to do what.
It's difficult to understate the importance of thought leadership, especially during a time when anti-intellectual sensationalism surrounds so many of our media outlets and social platforms.
Our contributions may seem small, but they do and will make a difference.
As The Year 2019 Ends, I Look Back And These Are Some Of My Thoughts
2019 isn’t quite over yet. And yet, there have been some significant differences between this year and the previous.
When this year started, I set myself a task to complete - to build new and maintain current relationships.
I started this because of a book that I read that profoundly affected my thinking.
Essentially, it reminded me that I could not live a life completely devoid of other people, at least not if I wanted to live a meaningful life.
Now, this all sounds really cliché and ‘obvious’.
I do have to give a bit of an explanation.
My tendency is to avoid human contact - mainly because I find people draining to be around. As such, I can go for tremendously long periods without interacting with another human being, even an online one - something most people find very odd.
As a result of this tendency, I have neglected a lot of relationships and avoided cultivating new ones.
It culminated in a year that felt extraordinarily low and depressing. That was 2018.
I didn’t want a repeat of that. Thus, I made a commitment to myself to do something about my relationships in 2019.
Was I fully successful? Likely not.
And yet, I know that I have put in a significant amount of effort and time into building up some of my relationships this year. And I’m glad to say that I have the improved relationships to show for it.
In terms of career / work, I’d say that this year was not great, but it was much better than last year. I’d also say that, through the building of relationships this year, I have set up a number of projects for next year. So I fully expect that 2020 will be an even better year!
I’ve been very inactive on social media this year, having gotten rather jaded with the whole content mill thing.
I have nothing against people who can consistently and comfortably put up useful and engaging content, but those who cannot need to stop trying so hard. I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve blocked or removed from social media this year because their posts were annoying / inane. Clearly, they’ve been advised by someone to do it. And, truth be told, it’s not doing them favours.
Well, at this point, these are my main thoughts about 2019. Signing off until the next post!