A case for not blocking.

There’s a lady I’ve been chatting to in DM’s for the last few weeks and we get on quite well. The weird thing is in 2023 I’m fairly certain she blocked me for having a counter point to her views. I know big crime right? But she seems to have forgotten and it became a bit of fun for me to civilly chat away about our favourite tv shows and plans or the summer, wondering if she’ll suddenly remember, blow a gasket and disappear again.

She’s American and has strong political views - well don’t they all? If they’re not playing the brave conservative defending their turf from all manner of external threats, they’re in the other club who think they’re Rosa Parks at the fulcrum of history and their posts are a beacon of hope for the oppressed. But happily for the moment this one is happy to chat about band tour dates and cures for hay fever, and I’m cool with that. Bygones and all that jazz.

It goes to show that if some topics are given a wide birth people can be quite pleasant.

Another thing to consider is people change, whether you want them to or not. Sometimes it’s subtle and other times they have a serious word with themselves - and I include me in this - and they come around. But you can’t do that if everyone has petulantly blocked each other.

And it is petulant, its immature and it’s stupid. Nobody can do this in the real world - and it does make me wonder how some of you cope in the real world without a block button - frankly I doubt some do.

Anyways. That’s my 5p worth. I wonder if she’ll notice I’m referring to her 😆

Strapmaster · 70-79, M

I've run into a similar situation myself. I had a great conversation going on with a gal in the UK and a couple more here in the US. Not the slightest hint of anything negative. One by one, they ghosted me. I'd ask what was wrong. Crickets. One did write and say things were, "kind of hectic at the moment." Then again, nothing further. It really does piss a person off, but in the end, people are unpredictable and fickle. It does hurt one's feelings when it happens, but it's not life-ending. No sense badgering someone who doesn't want to interact with you.

Or you might run into a truly dumb situation like I briefly did. Out of the blue, some idiot kept writing to me demanding why I said bad things about him. I didn't know this idiot from Adam. At first I told him I had NO idea what he was talking about, and I didn't. Not at all, but he kept badgering me. I got firmer in my replies to him, and that he should check his Friends list. My name is surely NOT on it. Nope, he kept it up. I finally cut loose with several well placed expletives while telling him what a dipshit he was, then blocked him. Problem solved. Sometimes being nice to some fool gets you nothing but more grief. Besides, at my age, I'm too old to get drawn into someone's ridiculous drama.

There's plenty of people on here. Sooner or later, either you'll find someone else or they'll find you, and I've already experienced the latter more than the former, so all is not lost.

Politics is like giving a pyromaniac a box of matches, then letting him tour a fireworks factory. People either love you or hate you. I don't at all hide my disdain for Trump and every moron that supports him. Like that? Fine. You don't? Then keep moving.

There's thousands of possibilities out there. Give it time. You'll find what you're looking for.

UBotMate

I block people by the thousand. Some people you can't engage with and you just don't want them in your space. The sick freaks, for example. They would not be in my space in real life and I wouldn't go anywhere where they hang out. So they get blocked because online they're in every social space. I block the political bores because I'll just want to troll them. I am saving myself from myself. I don't want my worst impulses to come to the fore. I don't block people over a simple disagreement if I know them, but if I don't know them then it's the toss of a coin. I don't much care if they might change, I'm pretty clinical about people.

Most of this is about managing me, not them. I do what is best for me. In real life I can avoid loads of people by not being where they are.

Lugwho · 61-69, M

I got a DM from an American a few years ago, who sounds very similar to your user. We had a very pleasant chat and then a while later she blocked me, no idea why. I wonder if it's the same person.