This is a great post. In relation with writing I saw this happen often on Facebook. The expectation was if someone shared a post the writer would eventually “owe” them a share. Or the same people would share each others work as a strategy to boost their following because they believed a publisher would publish them only if they had a larger following ( I’m still unsure if this is true).
Honestly it took me a while to get used to a new way, but I think in the long run sharing one another’s work because we genuinely like it, with no expectation of reciprocity is much healthier.
This is such a great example! I still feel a little twinge of guilt sometimes when I choose not to share something, like I’m breaking some expected social code. But the absolute joy I feel when I share something I genuinely loved with my community cannot be matched.
In considering what you wrote in your essay, I believe our natural bent is to feel like we are owed something in return or that we owe something to the other person. This is a fight for me, because for so long I was in that world. So I’m trying to pace myself. Eventually my mind will flip and a new normal will take hold. 🧡
If we rely on reciprocity for our advantage and gain, we are treating people as objects to be manipulated instead of people made in the image of God. Loved this article!
That's a great perspective! It's one that I hope to work from in my role at church. I also like your nuance to say that at times you do ask for money when your seeking something. But I agree that those times are few.
This is a great post. In relation with writing I saw this happen often on Facebook. The expectation was if someone shared a post the writer would eventually “owe” them a share. Or the same people would share each others work as a strategy to boost their following because they believed a publisher would publish them only if they had a larger following ( I’m still unsure if this is true).
Honestly it took me a while to get used to a new way, but I think in the long run sharing one another’s work because we genuinely like it, with no expectation of reciprocity is much healthier.
This is such a great example! I still feel a little twinge of guilt sometimes when I choose not to share something, like I’m breaking some expected social code. But the absolute joy I feel when I share something I genuinely loved with my community cannot be matched.
In considering what you wrote in your essay, I believe our natural bent is to feel like we are owed something in return or that we owe something to the other person. This is a fight for me, because for so long I was in that world. So I’m trying to pace myself. Eventually my mind will flip and a new normal will take hold. 🧡
If we rely on reciprocity for our advantage and gain, we are treating people as objects to be manipulated instead of people made in the image of God. Loved this article!
Thank you for reading!
That's a great perspective! It's one that I hope to work from in my role at church. I also like your nuance to say that at times you do ask for money when your seeking something. But I agree that those times are few.
I’d love to hear more about how you see this playing out in a church role.
Love this. I am grateful to be reading and following along this journey with you.
Thankful to have you here, Rana.