ULTURE
Y BACKFIRES LL SO POPULAR by John Douglas
needs and rather than leave it there will continue the attacks with further posts degrading the former coach and encouraging others on social media and privately to end their relationships and move on . Think about this for a minute , would a reputable coach intentionally ignore you as a paying client ? Would a reputable coach give you information and plan your needs based on anything other than the information you provide ? Let ’ s take a look at what you didn ’ t do to ensure a modicum of success . Here I present the side of the story you likely will not hear or see on social media . Did you as a competitor / client faithfully complete all your check-ins , in person or online ? Did you as a competitor / client follow your nutritional plans to a tee ? Did you as competitor / client take your coaches advice on seeking out other coaches , posing , training or any other informational source your coach thought might help you achieve success ? If you had to think about or qualify your answers to any of these questions you are wholly to blame for your placing / lack of success in achieving your goals . Maybe you missed a check-in or two because you hadn ’ t done everything you were asked to do and it would show in your progress pics , maybe you haven ’ t followed your meal plans because that burger looked too good , maybe you felt that other coaching wasn ’ t necessary because you could simply Google what you need or maybe you felt that all the things your family and friends told you signified that you had done enough and they were right , you will win . Did you put any of this in your posts and accept any responsibility for what you consider a failure , not likely . We as a society are being conditioned differently than say twenty or so years ago . Everyone wins now , everyone gets a medal and there is always blame for someone else . The reality of life is not near what we are being conditioned to accept . Everyone does not always win , everyone does not always get a medal and more often than not you have to accept individual responsibility for your actions . This is life in the real world . Before you hop on social media to bash your coach , or any anyone else , and try to force their business or personal life to suffer please take a hard look at yourself and your actions . Did you do everything within your power to help ensure that relationship , your relationship , with your coach , trainer , nutritionist , posing coach or life coach could be successful ? No , then please ignore the urge to post anything . One of the best posts I have ever seen on social media of a client leaving their coach went like this “ My coach and I have decided to part ways . We have agreed that they have taken me as far they can and I thank them , I learned so much . I wish them well with all their future clients .” No accusations , no slander , no libel just a simple announcement , a thanks and move forward . Isn ’ t this the way it should be ? Cancel Culture , in a sane world , has no place and only serves to be divisive . The fitness industry still suffers a stigma in the opinions of the general public and it is singularly important in this time that as an industry we should be supportive .
4 why it backfires !
The people who post “ cancelling ” posts do so out of need for validation . An employer may have fired them , a clerk may not have been polite . The problem is that most times the person who you feel has wronged you has likely not seen your post and your targeted readers only see one side of the story . Did you get fired for theft ? We don ’ t know . Were you rude to the clerk ? We don ’ t know . The average person , even your friends are catching on to the fact that these posts are often one sided and are not necessarily supporting you . An old addage still rings true today ; “ There are two sides to every story and somewhere in the middle lies the truth .”
5 why so popular ?
Frankly , it is easy . Maybe a little too easy . Hop on line , create a post , a story , a meme or video , list your side of the story and wait for all your friends to hop on and tell you how harshly you were treated and vow to boycott whatever cause you are espousing . Social media makes it easy , your perception of freedom of speech legislation buoys you to say whatever pops into your head to make your point of view look right and little to know thought of the repercussions enters into your reasoning . Can you be held accountable , sure . Several cases are popping up in the news and the penalties for abuse and defamation are sometimes costly .
MOST GRIEVANCES CAN AND SHOULD BE HANDLED OUTSIDE OF SOCIAL MEDIA . MOST ARE PERSONAL ISSUES AND HAVE NO PLACE IN THE PUBLIC EYE .
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