I’m damn glad we didn’t have social media when I was 25.
I thought stupid things, said stupid things, and generally acted stupid. If I had a broadcast studio in my pocket then, as we do now, I’m sure I would have…well, let’s just leave it at “posted some things I now regret.”
And the internet never forgets.
What was wrong with me at 25? Nothing, really. I was a different person then, and we lived in a culturally different time.
That’s what happens. We evolve, as does the culture, social norms, and zeitgeist. Our journey exposes us to new experiences, people, and ways of life. New technologies open previously unknown paths, and more data solidifies the picture. The zeitgeist shapeshifts like a cumulous cloud across a summer sky.
Our thinking and feeling adjust accordingly.
Yet, we’re all too happy in our zeal to kick, cancel, or otherwise shame our rival to pull up an old post and publish with taglines such as, “This didn’t age well.”
When I see this, I can’t help but wonder about what hasn’t aged well in my own thinking.
