I find the best way for me to overcome this is to educate the person so they know why I disagree with them and give them information and examples to support my opinion. My goal is to have a happy customer who will give me repeat business, so sometimes I have to speak my mind in order to get them results. I think (And hope!) they respect me for this.

So when it comes to social media I try to adopt the same behaviour and hopefully this won't resort to heated arguments, name calling and unfollowing! It is easy to use the internet as a kind of shield and say things you wouldn't dare when face to face, but I find turning off twitter after I've started on my second glass of wine always helps!

Great post Ann, thanks!

I read this amazing book called Power versus Force that help me understand its the FORCE (energy) behind our actions that makes it enlightening (positive energy vibration) or deadly (negative energy vibrations). With such knowledge even when I disagree with opinions I've learned to use phrases such as
“thank you for sharing,” “I never thought of it that way”, “tell me more” & “can we agree to disagree?” My intention is to maintain the relationship even when we have strong opinions.

Lisa Ann Landry – Corporate Trainer – Unleashing the Genie

The flip side to this though is some people are more comfortable with written communication than verbal ones. I know that I tend to prefer the typed word as it removes a lot of personal emphasis that would be used in other forms of communication,e.g. vocal tone, speed of speech, etc. I tend to see myself as a keyboard Ninja, though that just means I know my way around a few of them as I've been typing since I was 8 years old on my Commodore 64. Just wanting to add another opinion to this discussion.

Love is the guiding truth.

Trolls are noooo fun.

I've found that it's so easy to lash out when the emotions kick in as I read something online. I think what helped me was when I learned how the amygdala receives visual and auditory input, and generates an emotion, before the neo cortex even receives the same input. So one always has an emotional response before a logical one. To me that's significant because it means there are no “logical” thoughts which aren't also associated with an emotional response.

That doesn't mean one has to respond emotionally, but rather that it's important to recognize the two brains at work. That gives me more freedom to act in accordance with my beliefs and values rather than being led along in the moment.

So in the words of Viktor Frankl, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

And then, if that doesn't work, maybe stab them with your sword. At least you tried! j/k