I’ve been getting a bit of hate-mail lately. Here’s what I think about it.
So I’ve been copping a bit of hate-mail lately.
This isn’t entirely new. I’m a hate-able guy. But it does seem to have picked up a bit lately.
And it’s coming at me from all directions. When I stuck my neck out for Black Lives Matter, I got attacked by conservatives. When I stuck the boot into Dan Andrews and Victoria’s Covid response, I got attacked by progressives. When I said you need to live for the moment because every moment could be your last, I got attacked by… actually I don’t know what they were on about.
Whatever. Come at me internet!
And I’m not here for sympathy. Sure, it might be nice if every now and then someone wrote in to say, “Up you go, Jon. Thanks for the laffs.” But it’s ok.
There are a few things that occur to me though.
The first is the number of messages that go something like, “I’ve been enjoying your blogs for four years now, but after that last email I set fire to my computer and I never want to hear from you again.”
Really? You’ve been vibing with what I’ve been saying for a few years, and then on the back of one email, bam, I’m blacklisted?
I’m ‘cancelled’?
I think I can get this. It feels like our very way of life is under attack right now. We feel we need to defend it in whatever way we can. As soon as there’s the first sign of rot in any aspect of our life, that aspect has to be cut out and destroyed as soon as possible.
There’s no room for second chances here.
It doesn’t matter if that rot is a charismatic entrepreneur with a provocative blog we’ve been enjoying for years. As soon as there’s any hint that this cancer is taking hold there too, boof, he’s gone.
I guess my response would be to say slow down and take a moment here. Your defensive drive doesn’t need to be so urgent. Yes, it feels like the world is falling apart, but it will be ok. We’ll find a way.
And the health of any cell is in its connections. I think its regrettable that we’ve become much more tribal in recent years. We’ve burrowed into social media thought bubbles, and the only voices we want to hear are the voices we like.
And I get how that happens too, but I do think it’s a good practice to keep yourself exposed to a variety of voices.
The more exposed your are to the political biome, the less likely you are to get hypo-allergenic reactions.
And my voice isn’t one you’re going to get anywhere else. I’m not pushing a political barrow. I’m just a guy who nerds out on property and wealth, with a personal mission to shake people out of their comfort zones.
I’m just ‘that guy’.
I’m not asking to be the voice of your inner-conscious. I’m not asking to speak for your most preciously held dreams and aspirations.
And you don’t want that from me either.
Just let me be ‘that guy’. Let me be a guy with a unique outlook on life and money and personal growth.
You’re not going to agree with everything I say. It’d be boring if you did. And that’s not what these blogs are for. I’m not here to feed you opinions you already have.
I’m here to give you an insight into the thinking of ‘that guy’. So you can reflect on it and go, isn’t it interesting that ‘that guy’ has ‘that opinion’? Isn’t the world a curious place?
And in that sense, ‘that guy’ is only here so you can learn more about yourself. You shouldn’t be reading me to know what I think. You should be reading me to get a clearer idea of what you think.
So look, hate on me all you want. Go nuts. But don’t bunker yourself just because you don’t like the voice you hear every couple of years or so.
Also, you all know these blogs go up on the website and the Facebook page right? If you’re going to have a spray, don’t waste it on my inbox.
Put it up on the web for everyone to see. There’s a bunch of people who will probably agree with you. And I might not respond to every comment, but I’ll definitely have a read.
I’ve been doing these blogs for 8 years now. It’s been great and I’m not planning to stop any time soon. And for everyone who’s stuck with me through that time, thanks for everything. I deeply appreciate it.
Yours, forever and ever
That Guy
Aaron says
Meh, I’ve disagreed with about 30% of your stuff over the years. But I like hearing alternate opinions that don’t agree with mine. There’s value in there often I’ve found.
Thank goodness you’re not talking the god and Jesus stuff anymore. Yikes those posts are lame. I heard enough if that fairytale stuff in catholic school. Lame, Bad John! Lol
It’s all good, there’s tonnes of other stuff to read.
ed koken says
Hi Jon,
I like your posts and I do not agree with some of them. Difference of opinion is healthy but “righteousness” is not. Unfortunately, people have been getting polarized lately due to all sort of things including current circumstances.
Humanity is definitely needs to wake up SOON and think for themselves without trusting inept politicians and mainstream media. So that we leave a better world for our children and grandchildren.
Please persevere and we need “beacon of lights” to awaken humanity…
Have a sunny and happy day..
Bill says
Hi Jon,
Yes, it’s strange to hear about those people who write in to tell you “I’ve been enjoying your blogs for four years now, but after that last email I set fire to my computer and I never want to hear from you again.”
It doesn’t just happen to you, I’ve seen similar statements on other newsletters.
I agree, it’s good practice to listen to a variety of voices. Take Alan Jones for example, or even Alex Jones, they may be opinionated and even obnoxious but I will listen to what they have to say on a particular subject because if I want to get information on any matter, there’s value in viewing it from different perspectives. Being offended is so over rated these days.
Even the comments about God and Jesus vs atheism or science. To me, it’s an interesting topic and I’m happy to read your thoughts on it. People have debated religious ideas since humans became self-conscious (assuming of course that we were not, at one time in our history). Some people disregard the value of their lives and they neglect and abuse not just themselves, but others too. Some think it’s good to appreciate this life and live it to the fullest. Still others want to take it a step further and be grateful for it. Most of us can make the choice. Which is the correct choice? Well, you decide for yourself but please try not to condemn others for their decision, it doesn’t invalidate your decision. Is that sitting on the fence, or having one foot on the platform and the other on the train? Maybe.
Essentially, I come to your website for ideas about investing and a bit of entertainment. With investing (whether it’s in property or equities or gold) our opinions don’t count for much, the basic question is “am I making a profit or a loss?” Being an investor is like being the umpire in a game of tennis, was it the player on the left or the player on the right who won that point? Analysis about who has the best racquet or the most natural flair or the friendliest personality is all good for entertainment but just doesn’t matter when it comes to the bottom line.
Glad to hear that you’re not planning to stop your thought provoking blog any time soon. Despite the title, sometimes it IS complete BS but I’ll still have a read of it.
Regards
Bill Dawson says
Hi Jon,
I have read your blogs for a long period of time and genuinely look forward to reading them. Many are filled with pearls of wisdom, and I will often refer back to some of them that I have highlighted just to use as a reminder of some values and ethics that I believe are important to be successful and satisfied. As others have noted, I don’t always agree with every opinion you have, but definitely a vast majority and although not basing decisions on your blog, they do give me confidence to move forward with certain projects and decisions, which I guess means I value your insight a great deal.
So I would just like to thank you for going to the effort as many times as you do and I hope you can keep it up for a while longer, and as far as the hate mail goes, I would pay no attention to the keyboard warriors as they are very hollow, and have very little substance.
Hard to be popular with everyone Jon, if you are popular with more than 30 per cent of people I think you have done well.
Well done and keep it up..