Then, I proceeded to post the short article to Facebook, as I normally do. What is the good of a blog if no one is reading it? Much like this blog, I should point out, the Anderson Law blog serves two functions: I get to write and explore ideas; and I can publicize myself or Anderson Law and the things we believe in generally. So, I published it on Facebook with the intro “One little known fact: you can be conservative and liberal at the same time.”

And then I decided to boost it.

Boosting Explained

Facebook is a very diluted platform. People don’t share as much as they used to, especially since the 2020 election cycle created more wedges and schisms between human beings with differing political viewpoints. And since people don’t share as much as they used to, the average feed has become dominated by advertisements. Some of these advertisements are based on previous searches (creepy cookies), some of these are based on pages or products that you like, and some of these are just general ads that are “boosted”, or highlighted through the payment of a small fee. It’s like stepping onto a really small pedestal and then selling your product, service, or message to passersby. It’s not like having a megaphone. It’s also not like traditional ads where people who you want to see your message see it. It’s pretty worthless, which is maybe why it doesn’t cost very much.

But, I do it anyway because the options in the brave new world of social media are seriously limited.

And then I get this message: ad rejected because it’s about social issues.

I’ve Got Issues

Yes, the post was about social issues like the law, the Constitution, and how we can “resolve to build our communities, to stand for the ideals of the Constitution, and [how we can] pay heed to our emotions without allowing them to destroy that which is good”. This seems like a natural point of dialogue for a lawyer and a law office. And promoting this sort of dialogue, without politicizing it, seems like a proper business objective and maybe even something that people who use Facebook would enjoy doing.

So, can someone explain to me why that is a post that Facebook should be censoring? Or how I should style the post so that it’s not in violation of Facebook’s community guidelines? Because I have a lot of legal issues that I would like to discuss, and I’d like them to be just a little more visible without trying to be salacious. Is that too much to ask? At least it wasn’t about religion, which may have been addressed in the Bill of Rights as another social issue. If you have any ideas, please comment below. Let’s make this as fun and creative as possible.

There is a silver lining, though. When I boosted a post today about the social issue of higher education, and even threw some cash into the air as part of my advertisement, I wasn’t blocked!

The post The Fun of Being Censored on Facebook first appeared on Brian Anderson.

It’s a desire for perfection, for greatness

I see this same hope in most people around me. The kids I teach through Junior Achievement have told me that they want to be like LeBron or Beyoncé or The Rock. Adults around me often seem to be spending a lot of time trying to recapture the ideals of a former self. There is an innate human desire to reach perfection in some particular aspect of life, to feel the flow of what might be called “being in the zone” or tapping into “infinite intelligence”.

Historically, this desire for greatness was taught in churches and practiced in the home. Since the advent of cinema and television, there has been a slow transition to a more secular religion and people have looked to actors and athletes as their role models and guides to achieve a certain level of perfection. But the shallowness of the big screen in emphasizing immutable physical characteristics and de-emphasizing spiritual and emotional virtues has left people searching for more, wondering where they can turn to fulfill this innate desire to be great.

It’s a desire to change even the way we breathe

The answer to this question is individual and universal at the same time. It begins with the desire to change, even the way we breathe, to recognize that we are already part of something great and there is Someone who can show us the way. We are unique individuals with extraordinary talents who have found ourselves impossibly alive on this “pale blue dot” in the middle of a vast solar system, in an even more vast galaxy, and in a seemingly infinite universe.

If you have that desire to change, to be better today than you were yesterday, even in the smallest part, find a friend who is willing to change with you. Who is willing to listen to you. Then decide today to give up something that you don’t need in your life for something that will help you be better. Start small and repeat. And, if you don’t mind, let me know how you’re doing.

The post Religiosity is the glue that binds us together first appeared on Brian Anderson.

To listen is to live

One of the reasons we may have stopped listening is because it requires a lot of energy. We think as little as possible, make up our minds, and proceed to act based on our conclusions. Psychologists explain that we close our minds and stop listening once we have made a determination about something. This, in turn, has the tendency of binding us into repetitive actions which then turn into steely habits.

Shutting off our minds can keep us safe if our conclusions are correct, but it seems that most of the time, in a complex society, we don’t have enough information to make the best conclusions. And if we do have enough information, chances are it is so conflicting that we have no way of knowing what is right or how to choose between competing ideas. In this case, the only way to live and to grow is by reevaluating our conclusions regularly. This becomes much easier with a strong, tightly knit group of friends.

To live is to create

I discovered several years ago that if I wanted to be more successful as a lawyer, it was absolutely crucial for me to be able to listen and to assess “both” sides of the argument in order to determine whether the decision I was making was the best, or if I was doing something that was merely good or even bad. I quickly realized that this requires a lot of creative energy, so I convinced the office to join me in random competitions to keep our minds fresh.

One of my favorite competitions was seeing who could be the most creative in coming to work. This was loosely based on the observation of Ken Robinson that children are much more creative than adults as evidenced by their ability to use a paperclip for just about anything. We brainstormed the number of possibilities and were surprised when we started running out of ideas at about 76, not including different routes! That week I wasn’t very aggressive and pretty much just covered the basics: I rode my bike, I walked, I ran, and even asked for a ride, but the winner of the competition took the bus part way then had a co-worker push her in a jogging stroller the rest of the way. It was hilarious! That competition has since served as a reminder of how there are many ways to approach even the most simple challenges we face, yet it takes work to deviate from the norm and to question our current understanding of reality.

We can change for the better

I realize that Facebook (and social media generally) is a distorted microcosm of life and serves mainly as an echo chamber. Very few people will even see this post, even fewer will read this far, and maybe one or two will decide to change their behavior because of some cogent thing I could have possibly written. But, regardless and irrespective of the futility of the idea that we can change for the better, I hope that you will take a minute to truly listen to your friends who have opposing views and you will take another minute to stop listening to those you don’t even know and who are not your friends in any sense of the word. If this seems too hard, try commuting to work on a pogo stick or by hot air balloon.

_{*Adapted from my own Facebook post on November 18, 2020.}

The post Listen, it’s worth the effort first appeared on Brian Anderson.