Are Anonymous Users Cowards?
If you are part of the problem in your real life, then none of us should be listening to what you say online.
Jordan Peterson drew fire about a month ago after he called anonymous users cowardly.
He wasn’t saying that they deserved to be banned or silenced.
He did suggest, however, that there’s a strong correlation between anonymous trolls (not all users, but specifically the trolling kind) and narcissism/psychopathy.
People came down on him hard, suggesting that he was being sensitive and just didn’t like people criticizing him. That might be true and what inspired this flurry of tweets from him originally.
But maybe we need to have an honest conversation about this. Because I agree with Peterson and I know I’m not alone.
The Argument Against Online Anonymity
To be clear: I’m not saying that anyone should be forced to reveal who they are if they don’t want to. If you want to keep your identity private so you can passively observe and interact with other online users, you do you.
That said, stop calling yourself a “political activist” or believing that you’re making a difference if you’re doing it anonymously. There’s nothing heroic or upstanding about going online and saying the same shit that other people are spouting if you’re not willing to stake your name and identity on it.
Look, I get it. It’s scary to put it all on the line. Your life. Your relationships. Your livelihood. But if you’re unwilling to speak from your real voice and with your real name, does any of what you say, write, or tweet even mean anything?
I, for one, find anonymous avatars to be entertaining (sometimes). But inspiring and trustworthy? Absolutely not.
You could be anyone. You might say all the right words, but that means nothing if your actions in real life don’t align with what you purportedly stand for online.
What if you’re out there calling for an end to the new world order, but then you’re a head honcho at a company like Walmart or you head the DEI department at your organization?
If you — the real you — are part of the problem, then why should anyone listen to what you say online?
I don’t care if you’re staying anonymous because you need to be employed and to keep the insurance and benefits they’re giving you. If you’re suckling at the teat of companies pushing the Great Reset forward, you are not really with us and you have no right to speak to what people are actually fighting for behind an avatar.
And, to be honest, you need to take a good, hard look in the mirror if that’s the case. Do you really want to be taking money from companies like that?
Why do people suddenly lose all integrity and self-respect when it comes to securing employment?
Is Online Anonymity Part of a Larger Societal Issue of Cowardice?
Look at how easily C19 restrictions were implemented, how easily the WEF has infiltrated governments and made policy, how easily people caved to the clot shot for the sake of taking a vacation, going to parties, getting back to normal, etc.
There is no fight in most people.
Is there a correlation between anonymity and this lack of pushback against our oppressors and tyranny? Has the Internet made it too easy for people to hide behind screens and observe what’s going on, comment on it, and then never suffer the consequences of their words or actions?
If people were held to account for the shit they say online to others, I bet the vast majority would never say it. And that tells you a lot about how much they really believe in whatever cause they’re fighting for or whatever powers they’re rallying against.
Sure, they’re happy to let others — the ones who use their real names and show their faces — take the hits. But no, not them. They need to preserve their livelihood and reputation.
I got into an argument with someone recently about this topic. They were, of course, anonymous. And what did he or she do? They went to my Twitter profile and threw the fact that I’m a freelance tech writer and Floridian into my face. “Figures.” As if that somehow negates my understanding of how anonymity negatively impacts us.
They kept saying things about how I assumed that anonymous people did nothing in their real lives.
I don’t assume anything. I’m just saying that there’s no way to hold anyone accountable to what they’re promoting or provoking if they’re a digital avatar.
Also, how the hell are we going to fight a war against our tyrannical overlords if we’re an army of avatars? This isn’t Hackers, for christ’s sake.
Final Thoughts
Tweeting things that get conservatives, libertarians, and critical thinkers fired up might inspire people to start talking or thinking about important matters. But those are just words on a screen.
Plus, think about how short people’s attention spans are. There are big news pieces that come out every day that get people fired up and forgetting about the previous thing that made them angry or frustrated. Your random tweets and posts are pointless in the grand scheme of things. That is, unless you take real action in real life.
So what will you do?
If you’re serious about stopping this new world they have planned for us, you need to drop the anonymity. We need real bodies and minds contributing to the fight.
Next, start taking action in little ways. It’s going to make your life more difficult, that’s for sure. It might also harm your relationships and livelihood.
But you have to be willing to sacrifice something meaningful in order to bring about real change. And I’m not talking about having your Twitter or YouTube account suspended. If there isn’t something real you’re willing to stake, you might as well hide behind your stupid avatar.
I am one of those people who would never use his real (patronymic) name or give away his professional background on social media (or in reply to an MSM web page for that matter) for fear of identity theft. There is now also the risk of de-banking and worse to come for expressing political opinions on social media. Anyway, here is some recent food for thought from another blogger:
https://tastefullindy.substack.com/p/in-defense-of-anons