This is Not for You

A phrase I learned from Seth Godin

“This is not for you.”

That’s the best response to any negative comment you might ever get.

It applies to your Facebook updates, your tweets, your blog posts, and your products.

Criticizing is super-easy.

Anyone can write “Who gives a s***?” on every public statement you've ever made, and still have a point.

Disagreeing is ok, but how you disagree is key.

Doing it through name-calling, verbal abuse, or personal attacks is rarely constructive.

Trolls thrive on this.

Shun them out by simply saying “This is not for you”

Works like a charm.

So diplomatic, yet so effective.

It’s like telling people to go away, but kindly leaving the door open for their future comments if they’re nicer next time.

It’s also quite versatile.

The same phrase addresses one-time trolls as well as close friends who just had a bad day.

As Seth Godin says, the ability to say “This is not for you,” is the foundation for creating something brave and important.