The Irony Of Being Unfiltered

So you’re unfiltered, have a no filters personality. Modern slang suggests having no filters means you’re raw, natural, crude, coarse, abrupt, prone to putting your foot in it and even refreshing. After all, you’re supposed to be yourself right?

The phrase putting your foot in it has always been stupid to me. How do you know someone’s life story to merit being elbowed in the spleen and confused apology? Dropping a bomb amongst casual conversation is the inevitable of random subject chat. Beats me. They might be doing likewise but you politely smile and deal with it.

The irony is that I have filters. An inbuilt mechanism that comes with age and experience (I’m over 21). I’ve observed the behaviours of Internet forums for over a decade. Remember AOL Chat Rooms? I separated the lies from the truth. The beauty from the ugly. Moderated hoards of complaints from a diplomatic angle. I ensured I heard both sides of the situation and took context into account. Situations were calmly laid to rest… There! Accusation I’ve put my foot in it because someone has passed away. However there was always the irrationals whom you could never reason with. It happens, it’s life.

You filter everything you see, hear and read whether you notice or not. You have filters for the input but certainly can have and celebrate your unfiltered output. To an extent. You are careful what you say around, for example, close family and work colleagues but that’s just plain old boring manners. You wouldn’t tell a joke at a funeral (well, not until afterwards), label an ultrasound of a baby as all the same however biologically and anatomically they are so guess it’s simply a blunt fact.

Och, you know what? Just be you.