Nipate
Forum => Kenya Discussion => Topic started by: Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants on September 16, 2014, 03:43:55 PM
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He is saying what I normally say in a nutshell. It is compensatory behavior. The way to deal with them is to pay them no mind.
I got into a little fight a few months ago with the blogger who made me famous.
And by fight I mean a little verbal joust loaded with stinging truth.
As everybody knows, I became “famous” by picking fights with this infamous blogger on Twitter (which goes by the inelegant portmanteau of tweef; twitter beef), according to his version anyway.
I was mildly embarrassed by the tiff because this most ungentlemanly of outbursts happened at Her Majesty’s residence in Nairobi, and over a delightful dinner (gasp!) no less.
See, the inimitable British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Turner, was hosting some politicians, business leaders, lawyers, journalists and the twitterati to a dinner and chatfest called ‘Eat and Tweet’.
I told the good ambassador’s (mostly) august gathering that some Kenyans online, such as this blogger, were responsible for the huge echo chamber of nonsense on the Internet.
INANE AND TASTELESS
Now I can build on that. I have always been fascinated by the Kenyan psyche online.
From attention-seeking “celebrity” types to self-proclaimed bigwigs specialising in the inane and the tasteless, the explosion of speech online has been both astounding and horrifying.
Nowhere else is brainless, vindictive character assassination glorified as I have seen with Kenyans on the Internet.
Anybody who holds a divergent opinion or who goes against the grain and does something unique and extraordinary almost immediately meets the wrath of this e-mob.
It’s almost as if they are only satisfied if everyone has uniform opinions, no one dares to be different and nothing is achieved.
FALLEN AFOUL
In the last few months alone, author Binyavanga Wainaina, afro-pop band Sauti Sol, TV reporter Willis Raburu, comedienne Teacher Wanjiku and “socialite” Vera Sidika have all fallen afoul of this virtual lynch mob.
I admire outliers and seek them out, I’m fascinated by how they think and see the world. I interview many of them and they make for some great conversations.
It is not easy to expose yourself to ridicule by putting your craft out there, whatever it might be.
The vulnerability of having your work critiqued, torn apart and found wanting can be quite unnerving for those without a thick skin.
ANONYMOUS ACCOUNTS
Yet every great development, innovation or human achievement depends on taking an unbeaten path. Mercifully, even the inventors of yore were ridiculed and dismissed before they changed the world.
Why do we seem to excel in this criticism complex online? Why do overly critical blog posts, tweets and updates get shared around a dizzying number of times?
My theory is that there are a lot of compensatory narcissists lurking online, many behind anonymous accounts, feeling so inadequate in their own lives that their self-worth can only be reclaimed by bringing down others.
These folks are unhappy that their peers are succeeding, following their dreams, meeting interesting people and going to fun places around the world.
These subjects of their hatred are putting out their music, hosting TV and radio shows, getting important awards, writing books, getting big roles or jobs and generally winning in life.
My other theory is that it is easy to gain notoriety, which is often confused with fame, by attacking someone else. This is especially so if that person is prominent, popular, or has some kind of public role.
NEVER ERECTED
The most notorious bigwigs quickly earn followers by consistently taking on their targets with hateful, abusive and shameful comments in embarrassingly inarticulate street language.
This is a sad way to live. You can be anything on the Internet, goes a common saying, so many people choose to be thoughtless.
I don’t see why any self-respecting person would spend his or her time attacking someone else instead of using it to do something worth attacking.
I have always believed that talkers should stand aside and let the doers do. As Jean Sibelius said, a statue has never been erected in honour of a critic.
Don’t get me wrong; I have a healthy appreciation for helpful criticism. I love it when people can respectfully disagree with a story, interview or segment I did.
It is a useful exercise that helps develop skills, provides much-needed feedback and keeps people focused.
UNHAPPY WITH LIFE
But I have no time for a malicious take-down intended to achieve nothing more than retweets and a little attention.
Anybody who engages in cyber-bullying is really just trying to cover up their own feelings of inadequacy and disillusionment with life.
Here is the thing: do something worth criticising. How much more awesome would it be if we all put ourselves out there, challenging convention, slaying mediocrity, disrupting established norms and not just living a generic lifestyle without adding value to the world?
But if you choose to channel negative energy online and get by on your conveyor-belt existence, I am sorry you’re so evidently unhappy with life. Finding something to be passionate about, and learning to be good at it, is an immeasurably rewarding experience.
Nothing annoys the cyberbullies more than being ignored. And nothing is more satisfying.
http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/DN2/online-bullies-Twitter/-/957860/2452886/-/k36f9n/-/index.html (http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/DN2/online-bullies-Twitter/-/957860/2452886/-/k36f9n/-/index.html)
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The negro is mighty condescending in presenting Kenians online as different from other primates on the same platform.
Then he assumes rationality. People and much less negroes are not necessarily rational especially with the cloak of anonymity. Gor mahia fans can be the most irrational & irrascible negroes especially over a serious match. I almost ran over an accident victim last Saturday evening. Instead of stopping and assisting, I accelerated. Negroes are better off reading than watching 3D movies. and so forth
Larry is simply licking his wounds in public and sugarcoating it as pseudo-Freudian psychoanalysis. He is a public figure and not everyone loves him. The same way he never rationalize and over-analyze praise & compliments is what he should do to hate and insults
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The negro is mighty condescending in presenting Kenians online as different from other primates on the same platform.
Then he assumes rationality. People and much less negroes are not necessarily rational especially with the cloak of anonymity. Gor mahia fans can be the most irrational & irrascible negroes especially over a serious match. I almost ran over an accident victim last Saturday evening. Instead of stopping and assisting, I accelerated. Negroes are better off reading than watching 3D movies. and so forth
Larry is simply licking his wounds in public and sugarcoating it as pseudo-Freudian psychoanalysis. He is a public figure and not everyone loves him. The same way he never rationalize and over-analyze praise & compliments is what he should do to hate and insults
Kenyans are not fundamentally different. But they are a truly special case. This Negro is right. There is a tendency, especially pronounced online, to truly sulk at the success, real or imagined, of a fellow Kenyan Negro.
Such behaviors find their comfort zones in forums like our restroom. And the restroom of the restroom.
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I saw the kiwaru first-hand...it start as bewilderment..then morphed into jealousy..and finally hate.
Kenyans are not fundamentally different. But they are a truly special case. This Negro is right. There is a tendency, especially pronounced online, to truly sulk at the success, real or imagined, of a fellow Kenyan Negro.
Such behaviors find their comfort zones in forums like our restroom. And the restroom of the restroom.
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Termie,
That is so human. What do you expect when you flaunt your wealth, very few will celebrate your genius.
There is a naija preacher I once heard quipping that one of the reasons poor people remain poor is because they more likely envy and hate the successful instead of LEARNING from them. There is a reason why slumdogs burn cars and other objects of 'advancement' but not they shacks
Kenyans are not fundamentally different. But they are a truly special case. This Negro is right. There is a tendency, especially pronounced online, to truly sulk at the success, real or imagined, of a fellow Kenyan Negro.
Such behaviors find their comfort zones in forums like our restroom. And the restroom of the restroom.
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I like what he's saying. However I don't think it's that simple. I think a lot of Kenyans online are folks who are wealthy enough to live abroad. You need to know how to type with an internet connection. Cyber folks are much smarter than folks in real life. I find it's harder to be popular online for the right reasons than offline where people see you.
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Termie,
That is so human. What do you expect when you flaunt your wealth, very few will celebrate your genius.
There is a naija preacher I once heard quipping that one of the reasons poor people remain poor is because they more likely envy and hate the successful instead of LEARNING from them. There is a reason why slumdogs burn cars and other objects of 'advancement' but not they shacks
Kenyans are not fundamentally different. But they are a truly special case. This Negro is right. There is a tendency, especially pronounced online, to truly sulk at the success, real or imagined, of a fellow Kenyan Negro.
Such behaviors find their comfort zones in forums like our restroom. And the restroom of the restroom.
What you are saying is that it is human. To say, wow, lucky bastard. I could have done that. That is normal.
What is special? When someone spends every waking minute ruing that lucky bastard's perfectly legal luck. That is not universal or normal at all. I think that is what Larry is talking about. Unjustified resentment.
I think the reasons people can be poor in Naija are well documented. Little to do with envy. The place is a mess.
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The negro is mighty condescending in presenting Kenians online as different from other primates on the same platform.
Then he assumes rationality. People and much less negroes are not necessarily rational especially with the cloak of anonymity. Gor mahia fans can be the most irrational & irrascible negroes especially over a serious match. I almost ran over an accident victim last Saturday evening. Instead of stopping and assisting, I accelerated. Negroes are better off reading than watching 3D movies. and so forth
Larry is simply licking his wounds in public and sugarcoating it as pseudo-Freudian psychoanalysis. He is a public figure and not everyone loves him. The same way he never rationalize and over-analyze praise & compliments is what he should do to hate and insults
Wah, lemme get this straight, our dear resident pastor, the one who reminds us to pray each day and twice on sunday, the one who takes time to prepares a sermon telling us to "turn the other cheek" and "do as our Lord Jesus would do"......almost ran over an accident victim and instead of offering any help, he accelerated.....yawa yawa kweli be warery of those in wolfs skin. You could have saved a life and a soul....I am speechless.
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I like what he's saying. However I don't think it's that simple. I think a lot of Kenyans online are folks who are wealthy enough to live abroad. You need to know how to type with an internet connection. Cyber folks are much smarter than folks in real life. I find it's harder to be popular online for the right reasons than offline where people see you.
He does have a point, but I think he is trying to hard exonerate himself...while he is part and parcel of the clique. Most people online are by most accounts educated but not necessarily wealthy (There are exceptions).....the smart phone phenomena has made internet connections easier so most people can afford to say whatever it is they want to say.
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Mya88,
We don't act rationally 100%. There is no way I was going to stop in the middle of the night, what if I walked into a trap? Am not always rational just like you. My point is I don't except the most sober and optimal behavior online. Expecting and even wishing for that is idealism that's furthest from reality. Larry has a job to keep and for that, he has to be in his best manners online. He is the face of NTV. on the other hand, anonymous handles have nothing to lose,no job to keep
The negro is mighty condescending in presenting Kenians online as different from other primates on the same platform.
Then he assumes rationality. People and much less negroes are not necessarily rational especially with the cloak of anonymity. Gor mahia fans can be the most irrational & irrascible negroes especially over a serious match. I almost ran over an accident victim last Saturday evening. Instead of stopping and assisting, I accelerated. Negroes are better off reading than watching 3D movies. and so forth
Larry is simply licking his wounds in public and sugarcoating it as pseudo-Freudian psychoanalysis. He is a public figure and not everyone loves him. The same way he never rationalize and over-analyze praise & compliments is what he should do to hate and insults
Wah, lemme get this straight, our dear resident pastor, the one who reminds us to pray each day and twice on sunday, the one who takes time to prepares a sermon telling us to "turn the other cheek" and "do as our Lord Jesus would do"......almost ran over an accident victim and instead of offering any help, he accelerated.....yawa yawa kweli be warery of those in wolfs skin. You could have saved a life and a soul....I am speechless.