Today I’m here to share with you 5 Secrets to Thriving in the Sinister Realm of the Internet.

But this article is really about how you can be a positive addition to the dark world of the internet.

Because the world could use a little more friendly light, couldn’t it?

Sure, we will go over the five secrets, but I’m only really here to remind you of what you already know but have long forgotten.

Secret #1: Harnessing encouragement

Use your encouragement powers.

The internet is a wonderful place for encouragement: if you see someone doing something and you relate, or it helps you, tell them! why not?

You make friends, people feel good about the cool things they are doing/ creating and the world is a better place for you encouraging such.

It’s wild, we have this immense amount of impact on those around us by simply telling them how much good they have done for us.

Most people take it for granted, but you can quite literally change someone's entire month for the better by simply expressing how they’ve helped you.

Example from my experience:
It’s these types of comments that someone doesn’t HAVE to type at all, but they do: and it can change someone’s entire life direction. thank you camthejellyman, you’re a legend, I’m tearing up now.

Secret #2: Refrain from being a weenie-head

Perhaps you have forgotten, but there is an immense amount of options for how you can choose to act on the internet. A lot of these options involve acting like a curious friend, a supportive stranger, a respectful conversationalist, etc.

You could also choose to be a weenie-head. If you want to make your experience more fun, however, I will tell you a secret: You won’t enrich anyone's experience, including your own, by being a weenie head.

The second secret to thriving on the internet is simple but often forgotten: refrain from being a weenie head.

Secret #3: Be more genuinely curious

On the internet it is often about right and wrong, funny and unfunny, cool or not cool: but this is just no fun for a lot of participants. You have to put somebody down or discourage one person to encourage another.

A much more fun approach to converse and participate in the internet is to just be genuinely curious.

What do you want to know? What interests you while you pass by another experience? What questions have yet to be asked? — Stuff like this.

If you don't have anything to say, then ask what you do not know and wish to know.

By doing this you become a lot more earnest and the internet becomes less dark and more fun, there is so much to know, and it’s all reachable if you’re ready to ask questions.

Being genuinely curious is fun, and it’s a great precursor to a lot of great things. Very useful on the internet, and in all of life.

Secret #4: Make friends, not followers or leaders.

Followers on the internet are not nearly as valuable as having friends.

Sure followers will read your stuff, watch your things, and converse with you sometimes. It’s a shallow relationship by nature: you cannot be friends with everyone, but you can follow them all.

If you’ve taken secrets #2 and #3 to heart then this shouldn’t be too hard, matter of fact it will likely come naturally as you explore for yourself curiously. People who develop their own sense of self find it easiest to find others because they can easily know what environments they enjoy being in.

“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” — Albert Camus

Secret #5: Focus on what you want to see more of

This secret has been brought to my attention by Visakan Veerasamy. It’s really simple, if you want to see more of something, then focus on it!

If you want the internet to bring your life more joy then focus on how you can do that.

If you want the internet to bring your life less anger then focus on how it it can bring you more joy. (don’t focus on the anger, you don’t want to see more of it!)

Create the change you want to see (maybe you want to develop more friendly people in your internet bubble) then focus on being a friend worth having! Be a proponent of your own mission, and focus on what you want to see more of!

If you want to join me in being a friendly voice of encouragement on the internet, following curiosity, and creating cool sh*t: then come check out my youtube or my hub of creation and curiosity.

that’s all for today, have a great day :)
- your friend jack ♠️