Geoff W. Sutton Blog: Why I don’t Post about Politics and Religion on my Personal Social Media Pages

Why I don’t post about religion on my personal page.

I have friends who have various religious beliefs or none at all on all continents except Antarctica. I respect their cultural traditions and I want the same respect. Friendship is about good relationships. I enjoy sharing news about family and friends, experiences we have in common like places we lived or schools we attended, and interesting places to see or visit.

I’ve never cared for intrusive salespeople— religious or otherwise. If I want advice, I will do my own research or ask a friend. Perhaps that's why I like shopping online--I never liked sales people trying to push me into buying something I didn't really want. It's so damned annoying! It's worse when religious people want to force their books and pamphlets on you at your home or in your face in public spaces. The whole problem is one of disrespect.

I have an interest in religion and I write about that. Interested friends can read my blogs about Culture, Book Reviews, A House Divided, Parenting and join the over 500 followers on my Psychology of Religion on Facebook. I don’t need to add more of these things to my Facebook or twitter page.

I have been impressed with the importance of cultural humility. Too many religious people think they have all the answers or at least the answers they have are the right ones. Too many people do not seem to know the history of their own religious traditions. In the tradition I grew up with leaders have changed their beliefs about what is right and wrong. And many do not seem to understand the contexts of the Scriptures or the concepts of metaphors. Humility--it's a virtue in short supply on social media and elsewhere.

If you want to know, I identify myself as Christian. You can find my views in books and articles. But my views have changed so you would need to review current writings. I might change my views again--who knows. I've certainly changed a lot since that childhood photo you see above.

Why I don’t post about politics on my personal page

I have friends who support different political parties on all continents (except Antarctica).

I cannot imagine why friends in Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, or Europe would want to see regular posts about US politics (where I live) or UK politics (where I am from).

I believe in evidence-based governance. As such, I do not find socioeconomic posts about the “isms” helpful. By isms I mean terms like capitalism, socialism, and so forth. I find so many posts reveal that the posters do not understand the concepts they attack or promote. Besides, how can a sentence or two carry the meaning of books on these subjects?

I have posted on a health issue that was up for a local vote. So, you can guess it was important to me and my family.

I am interested in socioeconomic issues and politics. I do not mind factually informed discussions. As with religion, I post some of my views on my Facebook Author Page. Join me if you are interested in the discussions about psychology and culture. Currently, I interact with a few people who respond to my posts. I try to post two or three times a week. I allow others to post relevant information from reliable sources--even when I might not agree with their position.

I try to comment civilly when people disagree with me, but I don’t tolerate hate speech and false information (at least as far as I can judge). I'm not perfect here. I still get angry when people lie about a person I esteem or spread false information about a policy I think is good.

Frankly, I am skeptical about what politicians and other people in power say so I wouldn't pass such stories on to you.

If you want to know, I identify myself as independent. I vote and I consider the candidates and the issues at stake. I like some of the positions by the major US parties and not others. Sometimes I think their positions are just about getting votes rather than doing something about the issue. Over the decades, the party platforms and the politicians have changed so party loyalty doesn’t make sense. It’s best to be loyal to the country where you live. I want America to be a better place for my grandchildren and I try to listen to different perspectives on what would be best.

Why I don’t post about psychology on my personal page

I am a psychologist, but I don’t offer clinical services anymore.

I have lots of interest in psychological science and I continue to read widely. I am still involved in research projects and I write about various topics.

I cannot imagine people wanting to read about my work every day.

I also don’t want to lose friends because I am touting my work too often. I am pleased when people buy a book or like something I write. So, if you like a book please rate them on Amazon, Google, Goodreads, or wherever you rate and comment. If you like an essay or think something would make it better, let me know.

I write books (AMAZON PAGE) and articles. Many articles are free to the public. And a lot are in databases that pay zero royalties but produce income for the owners. That's a strange thing about research papers. Pathetic royalties, limited value of editors, and minimal marketing are three reasons I place my recent books on AMAZON and GOOGLE--I just think the whole minuscule royalty thing is a scam that robs authors of a living.

If you want to read about psychology, see my Psychology Page, view my psychology blogs about Psychology concepts and Psychological assessment, or follow me on twitter. I mostly follow back legitimate twitter accounts that aren’t all about selling a product without also providing interesting tweets. I am not opposed to letting me know about a book or product I might like--just don't flash them in my eyeballs.

If you would like to connect about psychology and human nature, including religion, please like a page and comment, follow me on twitter or Facebook, or leave a comment on an article or book you like. I can take negative feedback as long as you are helping me think more clearly or write better.

Why I do post about travel and culture

I love to travel and experience new cultures—past and present.

I enjoy seeing the photos and videos of family and friends all over the world.

Join me if you want to. And if you have a blog or YouTube channel about travel, let me know.

I blog about travel suttontravels

I post videos on SuttonTravels on YouTube

So, now you know why I write very little about religion, politics, or psychology, or hawk My books, on my personal Facebook or other social media pages. I might post this blog from time to time because people forget.

Links to Connections

My Page www.suttong.com

My Books AMAZON and GOOGLE STORE

FOLLOW FACEBOOK Geoff W. Sutton TWITTER @Geoff.W.Sutton