Reading This Quote Helped Me Deal With Hate Comments

I’m tired of fighting with “lilhotcheeto” and “certifiedhaterboy1”.

Throughout my first year on Medium, I’ve gotten more feedback on my work than ever before. Most comments are lovely, but occasionally I get a hate comment. *insert dramatic dun dun DUH!*

Sometimes, I want to put my paws up and go toe for toe in the comments section — dedicating hours towards changing this faceless, nameless person’s mind. Recently, I came across a quote that encouraged me to take a different approach.

On Goodreads, the quote is attributed to author Shannon L. Alder, who wrote The Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Bible, “Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you.”

I realized that no matter how much I care about the topics I discuss, some people will fight to the death to disagree with me. Instead of fighting, I’ll continue to write. My success is the best revenge.

Thank you to Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) for the great short form prompt! Want to write your own? Wonderful! Check it out at her post here:

Nia Simone McLeod writes, creates digital content, and watches a ton of Flavor of Love reruns. Her Medium publications, oh, write and coiled, are super lit. Check out her newsletter for her scorching hot takes on writing, pop culture, and other super cool stuff.