Are you someone who feels the urge to take on every opponent who challenges you, or are you picking your battles more wisely these days? As one who tends not to seek confrontation, I rarely have my mettle tested this way. Recently, though, I made the decision to engage briefly with an individual who took issue with a post I made in a group for independent comic creators.
As it is a group made for creators to, among other things, share their work, I chose to announce my Touching Distance anthology there, sharing cover art and a description of what the project is about. For the record, here is the portion of my post relevant to this discussion:
Touching Distance: Anthology of the Imminent [is] a comic series set in the near future – when revolutionary technology such as zero-point energy, anti-gravity propulsion, and holographic healing are introduced in conjunction with the further development of artificial intelligence and rapid expansion of human consciousness. When official civilian contact takes place not only with extraterrestrials, but with long-hidden civilizations living underwater and beneath Earth’s surface. Touching Distance presents the future neither as a fairy-tale utopia nor robotic dystopia, but a time of exciting exploration and challenges for humans of Earth as we transition from an age of ignorance and infighting to one of abundance, discovery, and evolution.
The initial comment I received was: “Is this a faith-based project?”
I did not quite understand the question, so I asked for clarification. The commenter then asked if I was promoting my “own religious beliefs”, pointing out the phrases “holographic healing”, “rapid expansion of human consciousness”, and “transition from an age of…” to justify his line of questioning.
My answer: “I don’t have religious beliefs, so no. If there’s a faith it’s based on, it’s faith in the human race.”
His response: “Yeah yeah, I know — you’re not religious, you’re spiritual. Your timeline indicates you hold some nutjob fringe beliefs. Are you proselytizing for them in your comic?”
This was when his agenda became clear, and I chose not to engage any further. In retrospect, I realize there was no way this individual could have taken offense at my “proselytizing” any particular view. Because how would he, beyond lazy assumptions gleaned from a few social media posts, even know what those views might be? My suspicion is that he was more disturbed by the possibility of open-minded people being led beyond his own perception and beliefs, which I assume he considers to be mainstream due to his projecting of “fringe” onto mine.
Once I had ceased engagement and allowed time to pass, I then chose to look upon this occasion as an opportunity to reflect. And that self-evaluation is why I can honestly say I have never been someone who attempts to “convert” somebody else to my way of thinking. I’m a storyteller first and foremost. When I look back at my work, if there is an ideology I have unconsciously promoted, it is diversity of thought. My vision of an ideal community is one where people can have very different views on a given subject, yet treat each other with respect.
When I meet someone whose point of view differs greatly from mine, they invite my curiosity rather than scorn. I have a natural desire to know more about them, and find conversations where that desire is reciprocated especially electric and engaging. I love those types of encounters, and certainly prefer them to battles.
