The most cutting verbal abuse Iโve received on LinkedIn remains clear in my mind to this day.
Selfish, self-centred, self-absorbed, special, wanting.
These were the literal words thrown directly at me. No one jumped to my rescue or called out the personal attack. The commenter shot the most accurate arrow that day, piercing my heart.
They hurt because at the core, I do want to be noticed, and I certainly want to be valued.
The fact I hadnโt expected it made it so much harder. Unlike many other posts I knew might cause a stir, this one was entirely harmless.
Many tech people at the time had developed their own โa manual of meโ, basically an autobiographical narrative of person preferences. Instantly I fell in love with the idea.
So I drafted one and shared it openly. As an example. Expectedly waiting for feedback, maybe even praise.
Selfish, self-centred, self-absorbed, special, wanting.
Man. I was floored. What else can I say. I was punched so hard there was no space for emotions. Not at point of impact.
I can now see how it could have come across as self-absorbed. I can also see how this specific commenter clearly felt very angry about a previous experience of a ND team member being โgranted specialโ privileges.
But it was a heavy hit to take, newly diagnosed as autistic and still figuring out what that meant at 44
Sometimes I get angry at peopleโs posts too. And sure, Iโve fantasized about the perfect insult.
But I suggest strong reactions and personal feedback remain focused on the behaviour, not the person. If shared at all.
Thatโs what the most cutting comment Iโve received on LinkedIn has taught me.