Why It’s Better To Be Anonymous
Staying a small fish in a big pond has its perks
There’s freedom in being unknown, which is why people become trolls. They get lost in the anonymity sauce and it becomes their drug of choice. When you’re anonymous, you don’t have to pretend to be perfect. You can say almost anything you want without dire consequence.
If you truly desire freedom of speech (at least as close to it as you can get), make an anonymous social media account.
It was one of the first things I did online to stay sane. Life can be overwhelming, so it’s refreshing to have somewhere you can completely be yourself. You can like or not like and feel no guilt. You can lurk all you like.
“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” — Oscar Wilde
I'm one of those people who can't stop caring what people think of them. My programming runs deep. But I realized everyone online, even those who never hide their face, is anonymous until they blow up.
When you initially join a social media platform and have no followers, you are a nobody — just another stranger in the sea of strangers. Most people will act nice toward you at this point in hopes that you’ll follow them. Or they will ignore you completely.
I used to think that was a negative thing and became obsessed with my follower count. I thought to myself something must be wrong with me because random strangers weren't singing my praises. Then I realized there is more freedom in being unknown. You have room to mess up and no one will care, at least not enough to get you canceled. Most of your followers aren’t worried about you until you break the internet. Then the shackles come.
After repeatedly going viral, suddenly people are watching your every move. Not only are they scrutinizing what you do at the moment, but they’re also perusing every word you’ve ever said to find ways to destroy you. It’s a game for them. People love their afternoon tea.
“You never appreciate your anonymity until you don’t have it anymore.” — Jason Priestley
I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to lose my anonymity and am pretty sure I never will be. Even though I'm not completely anonymous on all my social media accounts, I frequently wonder if I should be. People scare me. One day they worship you and the next they band together to tear you apart. I don't want to be the focus of anyone’s spill session.
It may seem like the fastest way to success is through fame, but are you willing to suffer the cost? Are you willing to be judged and found wanting? Trust and believe anyone can be targeted for any reason. Once you‘re in the spotlight every post you upload could be your undoing.
But enough doom and gloom. The point of this story isn't to frighten you. It's to urge you to think about the grass on the other side. You always think it's greener until you get there.
You don't need a massive following to be successful. There are millions of unknown millionaires. Small accounts are trending right now because so many A-list influencers are problematic. Keep your circle small to avoid having to face the chopping block.
You can be whoever you want. But don’t forget that the persona you create will become the standard by which you are judged. Faking it until you make it will only end up backing you into a corner. The masses will shun you in a heartbeat if you piss them off, so you might as well be yourself.
Learn to appreciate the beginning of your journey. Stop worrying about how many followers you have and how many claps you get (I mean likes. *cough cough*).
Enjoy creating without needing the approval of your peers 24/7 and keep some things for yourself.
Now go create the content that leaves you happy and fulfilled.
Update:
My feelings about anonymity have somewhat changed. Read about it here:
