To Be Controversial or Not To Be Controversial

In today’s connected, online society it is usually the people, posts, and comments that are controversial that generate the most buzz. Those who do not like to post such things often go overlooked in favor of the next viral story.

In today’s world there truly is no such thing as bad publicity it seems aside from no publicity. No matter how bad someone acts, the more controversial their posts or actions are, the more they get discussed on social media, news outlets, and anywhere else someone looks to get followers, viewers, or clicks.

So where does that leave me? I guess in no-man’s land because I choose not to intentionally try to stir up trouble by posting what I know will inflame others.  I have tons of opinions on things but I don’t see my author page as the place to spout my opinions. Those thoughts and perspectives have nothing to do with the stories I create so they don’t belong in this space.

To me, I would be potentially alienating my audience, or at least a part of it, by intentionally posting things that I knew were controversial or divisive just for the purpose of getting attention. My author page should be about my books, not my thoughts on politics, religion, social issues, or anything aside from book related stuff.

Sure, I do post blogs about me but those are more intended for readers to get to learn about me as an author. About my inspirations and experiences that motivate me to write and/or inspire those stories. The about me blogs aren't for me to use as a soapbox to espouse my unprompted thoughts on serious topics that I know little or nothing about. Like most of us, I know only what I know from random sources with no real background or education in a number of areas considered controversial. Like most of us, I’m not an expert in most things and don’t think it would be right for me to go around using my social platforms to pretend to be anything else. 

Am I perfect? No. Do I do things that others might not appreciate? Most likely. Do I feel the need to post on my author page (or even my personal page) inflammatory comments? Absolutely not.

I’d rather be the nice guy that chooses his words carefully instead of the guy who speaks without a filter and without any care about who his words may hurt. That means that I’m less likely to ever go viral because nice guys don’t go viral but I’d rather sacrifice my sales instead of sacrificing myself by being “one of those people”.

In a nutshell, I'd rather be the nice guy that finishes last than the fake who purposefully antagonized others for his own self benefit.