I deactivated my Facebook profile. Why? Because no one cares. Well, actually, if you’re reading this post and have found your way here to my personal blog, you may care. But by and large, people will not.
If you desire my substantiation, or thoughtful reasons why you may want to do the same, here are a couple of reasons why I’ve taken my ~10 year old profile down.
1. Too much noise and none of it is of particular value.
I noticed myself busy with Facebook but not getting any particular value out of it. In fact, the investment of time eventually began to generate a negative return. Most of the content coming up on my news feed was useless at best and downright depressing at worst. As I began suppressing and un-following content and people in an effort to game the algorithm, the experience didn’t improve. I realized the problem wasn’t the platform but rather the collective intention.
2. I want to create a better reality.
I believe we should be as discerning of what we put into our minds as we are of what we allow into our mouths, if not more so. Thoughts turn into actions and actions create our reality. If I want a better reality, I need to get in control of my thoughts. There are great ways to do this like meditation, choosing a healthy environment, staying away from negative people and situations, etc. Another great way to control our thoughts is to be careful of what we let into our minds. It’s for this reason that I seldom watch the nightly news, and the very reason that I’ve chosen NOT to continue to allow in the average of what the ~1600 people I “know” ( I use this term loosely) want to share with me. To shape my own world view, I’ve made a very conscious effort to unsubscribe from all that doesn’t matter, following only that which does (to me). I am reading more selectively and using my free time to be generative rather than to consume (which leads to the next bullet).
3. I want to use my time more productively.
When I say productively, I don’t just mean it in an efficiency sense. Rather, productive in the fulfillment sense. The 10 or 20 or 30 minutes a day I spend on Facebook can be better spent doing something that can bring me (or others) greater fulfillment (generate more light in the world). If I spend those 10-30 minutes writing a well thought out blog post, and even one person reads that blog and is elevated by it, it’ll already be worthwhile. Let’s face it, unless it’s generic, it’s difficult to share something meaningful in a status update. A photo of me, an update of where I am, or who I am with is of little value to people. In fact, it can make people feel pretty shitty about their own lives if they think I am having more fun than them. So what’s the upside of anything I update?
4. Instead of taking, I want to give (or rather, be generative).
We’re not spring chickens (at least I’m not); we’ve been around the proverbial block. We read, and we absorb, and we listen, but when do we get to make any sense of it? People have two minds: the little mind or the ego “me” and the larger expansive mind, the mind beyond us (ex: that little intuitive voice that tells you to call a friend when something crazy just occurred to them). At some point, to add value, to create, to generate, we need to stop consuming and allow our two minds to meet and mingle. If our consciousness is for the betterment of others, from this space, something new (of value) can be born.
5. Facebook is antisocial.
While it may seem counterintuitive that a platform intended to keep us connected actually causes disconnection, it is the truth. Facebook creates the illusion of connection. Let me give an example: you can see where your cousin is eating and who they are wit, but in actuality, you have no idea what is going on in your cousin’s life because you haven’t seen him/her (physically) for a year. What we gleam on social media is not even a sliver of what is really going on in someone’s life. It’s actually what they would like to project, usually the best parts, some (if not most) feigned. In reality, we are all human. We have good days and bad. We all carry a lot of pain and we are all going through something personal and real. How can we help someone if we don’t really see what’s behind the Facebook veil? I think by removing it. As I get older, I desire more to cultivate relationships that matter, relationships of substance. So if I don’t have Facebook as a crutch, the next time someone I care for pops into my mind with curiosity, I will actually have to pickup the phone and see how they are doing, for real. And visa versa. And that effort and that truth is what will make the ‘connection’ way more satisfying.
So those are a few of the reasons I’m off Facebook. The hiatus is still pretty fresh (began on June 22nd) and as time passes, I may have more to add to this post. If so, I will come back with updates. Until then, if you want to talk to me… call me!
As an aside, whereas the focus of my blogging has been traditionally limited to entrepreneurship, business, and technology, I want to begin blogging more authentically about the things that have helped me to become more fulfilled in my personal life. The last few years have been marked by challenges and growth in many areas of my life, all of which I am grateful for. These challenges have led me towards a growing fascination (and tons of research and personal experimentation) in the connection between the body, mind, and soul. I have learned that these three vessels must be in balance individually and holistically for a person to reach their highest potential. As I continue to find my own meaning of balance, and continue to reach for my own highest potential, I want to share what I learn and have learned with the intention to help others on their life’s journey. That’s not to say I won’t also blog about legacy subjects (I am still passionate about money, independence, and the productivity and efficiency offered by technology), but if I am to be authentic, the focus and intention behind this blog must fundamentally change. I welcome you to join me on this path towards greater truth; let’s see where the journey leads!
Update: As of September 4, 2015, with a desire to share all of the delicious and juicy blogs I’d written since June, I re-activated. Although I quite preferred being without Facebook, it is undoubtedly a superb medium for spreading my content. So let’s see where things go from… to be continued.
