Guilt Tripping For Reblogs And Why It's Not Cool

Perhaps I’ll start with the most obvious, which is that there’s no way of properly knowing who has or who hasn’t sent anon hate. If someone who has sent anon hate tries to reblog this, I’m fairly certain that they’ll be able to without any problem, considering that reblogging doesn’t work that way.

So congratulations to everyone who reblogs this, you’re such better members of society to everyone who hasn’t, since right here we have undeniable proof that there is absolutely no way you could have ever sent anon hate, and the proof is on your blog. 

Oh. Wait.

While I am in no position to judge someone’s moral character, in terms of whether they have or haven’t sent anon hate, but I’m fairly certain that most people wouldn’t have a problem lying about not sending anon hate if they were asked about it.

The second most obvious point would be that just because someone doesn’t reblog this, it doesn’t mean that they have sent anon hate.

Forgive me for not wanting to indulge you with a famous and utterly pointless post and give you another note, but I don’t appreciate the implication that by not reblogging this I’m a bad person, so I think I’ll pass.

Clearly, by the logic displayed in this post, I send anon hate.

And finally, let’s take a look at that bit of non-anon hate we’re seeing right here, also known as a number of tumblr users telling their followers that if they can’t reblog a stupid guilt-tripping post, they can go fuck themselves.

The intelligence and logic skills displayed here are astounding.

Even if it wasn’t worded that hatefully, the subtle backhanded bit of manipulation displayed by “I like to think none of my followers have done this? You all seem pretty awesome” still reeks of guilt tripping.

I am, however, curious about the “Mostly all my followers should reblog,” though.

And that gif. I think I’m dying from secondhand embarrassment.

I’m also not reblogging.

The part in yellow is attacking you as a person, and saying that you must reblog in order to show that you care, when in fact reblogging will do absolutely nothing to show that you care or not. It says that by reblogging, you are being a good person and showing that you are a good person, and by NOT reblogging, you’re alright with the fact that things like this exist.

I’m not even digging too far into this, it says it right there. 

If that okay with you, then carry on with your day

I’m not even making this up; it directly attacks you as a person, and their kindness and compassion as a person. It accuses you of not being a good person, and of having no empathy, and of not caring about anyone else.

The carry on with your day is very dismissive as well; implying that if you don’t care, you’ll be able to go with your day without any sort of guilt or remorse for not reblogging, because that is how little you care about issues like this.

If you agree this is unacceptable and okay, then reblog and spread the word

It’s saying there, that by reblogging this, you’d be doing something important. The fact of the matter is, it wouldn’t. Reblogging this will do nothing to change anon hate, and will help no one.

Skipping straight to the part in red: Using the word should is giving advice or recommendation, telling that it’s imperative and very important that you reblog this; it adds a sense of urgency to what is being said. It’s used to say that someone must do something, along the lines of it being the responsibility or obligation to do whatever the speaker is ordering of the other.

It then goes on and says that it won’t make your blog ugly, and that every type of blog, no matter what you reblog, should reblog this. By saying this, it takes away your right to refuse to reblog it; it says: you have no excuse for not reblogging it, because it won’t make your blog look ugly, and this is something that every type of blog should have. Every reason for not reblogging it is then made to be meaningless, because according to this, there is no excuse for not reblogging.

By wording it in a way that mentions ugliness, it implies that anyone who doesn’t reblog is materialistic and cares only about things like outward appearances.

And, returning to the part in blue: exactly how is this helping? If it was actually intended to help, it would provide resources that could be useful to someone who was dealing with this sort of harassment or abuse, or resources that could help. As it is, it does absolutely nothing and is utterly meaningless.