Break Your Mental Habits

The current novel is so, so close to being finished. I'll mostly keep my head down until it’s done. With this exception: I had another of those "Oh yes, I’m speaking to the entire internet" moments on Twitter the other day. It was caused by a coworker tracking down my personal email address when she really wanted something. That’s the address associated with my Twitter account, the one with my real full name on it. One does that, of course, to make oneself easier to find.

During my ill-spent 90's internet youth I developed an attitude of anonymity through obscurity which doesn't apply anymore, if it ever did. I first typed "home email address" above, because I felt like someone followed me from work to where I live.

Public social media accounts are social performance. If I want meaningful interactions with real people, I need to do that somewhere protected, or behind a properly obfuscating screenname. Quotes out of context are fun for journalists, politicians, and comedians, but I’m just kicking my future self in the ass by leaving so many opportunities out there now.

Break your mental habits. They’re not all as useful as they seem.