Why We Can't Resist Talking Taboo Subjects Online

Oh man...how many of you (like me) have resembled the cartoon above? You know you shouldn't. You know that this one last comment won't lead anywhere but to digging you deeper into an argument that is completely futile. But something takes over and, next thing you know, it's 3am and you are still arguing with people you don't care about on the internet.

Sigh.

Turns out that many of us are afflicted with the same issue and, even though we know that what we're posting isn't likely to change any minds, we are compelled to do so anyway. It's deep in our human nature to do so.

I know we are taught that we should generally avoid taboo subjects like politics, religion, and sex when it comes to business, but we are seeing examples of brands (and people) owning their opinions and winning for it (see: Beyoncé in Fast Company Magazine last month, and the Oreo Gay Pride cookie example from 2012). The next generation, raised with the internet and all of the open opinion sharing, has a new standard for taking a stand...one that favors brands that align with their political beliefs.

I welcome the heightened sharing, but the new etiquette is around how you conduct yourself when someone disagrees. While we increase our desire to share our opinions, we should also increase our ability to listen to the opinions of others.

Is the new etiquette to disagree without being disagreeable? We shall see. The US election is still 3 months away. It'll be a great test.

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