Facebook is a funny thing. It can bring out people's sensitivities like no other social media. For some reason, that status update can really get personal.
Now, my mother never told me not to discuss politics and religion (though she probably should have) and anyone that knows me, knows that I have strong opinions no matter which way they sway, and usually am not afraid to share.
Should that change now that I'm a Realtor?
As professionals, some topics are obviously off limits. But frequently when riding in the car with a client (who may now also be on my Facebook page), topics arise which bring out political perspectives. I am a rational person, not an ideologue, but I am sometimes torn between saying how I really feel and how I'm "supposed" to feel based on the client's expectations.
Agents with whom I have worked for and with have demonstrated to me that they do not, shall we say, actually believe the sentiments they dish. Much is for show. And when you get right down to it, keeping clients happy is more important than being truly YOURSELF.
Is it wrong for me to feel that I'm entitled to having it all--a personality, a profession AND an art?
My husband reminds me that one of the things that happened during the communist regime in the USSR was that everyone knew what was "really going on" but there was a universal, enforced homogeneity of acceptance of the OTHER reality, the one that masked the truth. People were afraid to have an individual voice.
Americans talk a good game, but in my opinion, not many people I've met can walk away from a conversation with someone who vehemently opposes their positions and still like them, appreciate them, or want to do business with them. It is something I strive for.
I want my clients to know I'm a real person. I want to know them as real people and treat them as such.
And frankly, I feel blessed to have been born an American, and I think we all ought to exercise our independent thought more frequently. And with regards to FB, perhaps we should not be afraid to say what we think, and have the conversation.
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