A few weeks ago I shared a video Daily Read that discussed why getting angry with people who disagree with you is a sure-fire way to get them to dig in their heels about their side of the argument. The video offered some great insight into how to have calm discussions with people that are more likely to get them to think about their position – and yours – rather than erupting in rage. Today I have another short video called “This Video Will Make You Angry” that discusses why sharing videos or other online content can cause us to get so angry in the first place. The video’s narrator calls these shared ideas “thought germs,” but he’s essentially using the original concept of memes (which didn’t used to mean a funny picture with a customized caption – it originally meant an idea or bit of culture that spreads from person to person and was coined by Richard Dawkins). The video argues that thought germs that make us angry are more successful because they are more likely to spread and be reinforced. It’s a fascinating video with some thought-provoking ideas, and it helped reinforce my growing knowledge that getting mad is getting us nowhere.
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