Paul Tafelski - August 2020

Paul Tafelski - August 2020

How Facebook Makes You a Public Figure And Lessons in Communication From Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. www.tafelskilaw.com 248-451-2200 August 2020 www.michigandefenselaw.com Better Call Paul l P Your Personal General Counsel n

Almost exactly 57 years ago, on Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech became not only a landmark in the civil rights movement and American history but also the ideal embodiment of communication during a crucial moment. Today, we’re in another moment of history where communication plays a key role in how this time will be remembered. I know this isn’t an easy topic for anyone, particularly for those deeply affected by the consequences of racial ignorance. However, I think that makes it all the more important to discuss how everyday communication has changed massively since 1963, and why it matters right now. If you time traveled and told someone in 1963 that your opinion on the internet could potentially be seen by millions of people, they would’ve thought you’re the future’s biggest celebrity. Truthfully, many people forget how difficult it was to become visible in the public eye before the internet. Now, anyone can do it. That’s been a wonderful thing for many, but it’s also changed effective ways of communicating. Why? When we post something on Facebook, it’s not necessarily like starting a conversation with a friend on the street. It’s more like putting up a poster — designed for the public eye. There are good effects of posting on Facebook: You get a wider crowd of reactions to your thoughts and your life, all at once. But being in the public eye can change your actions and ways of communicating, because you can become much more self-conscious about how you’re perceived. In fact, studies have shown that the longer you use Facebook, the more you believe other people are leading happier lives than you.

1966, only 33% of Americans in a Gallup poll approved of Dr. King. But there’s a reason why his actions and words have been immortalized in time: He was a great speaker, but an even more brilliant listener. It might feel like the world has never been a louder place to live in. It might feel like everyone is screaming at one another over social media. That may be true, but it doesn’t mean we have to react in anger. In an extremely polarized political climate, it’s up to us as public figures of our own lives to reach out with our hearts. And empathetic discussions are only half the battle. We have to come to terms with our differences and find solutions to complicated problems. But our differences can’t separate us forever. Dr. King said it best: “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

you constantly worried about your image and prevents us from truly listening to one another.

One reason why Dr. King’s speech was so remarkable and moving in its time was because he had led a long career marked with empathy and listening. Now praised for his Socratic-like methods, he constantly probed others’ opinions, prayed, and processed things that way. In fact, despite having extremely thorough speech notes in front of him, he improvised his most famous lines. Halfway into the speech, a close friend of his, Mahalia Jackson, yelled behind him, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” She was referencing a different speech he had given in the past. Although he could’ve told her to stay quiet and stuck with his plan, he immediately took her advice. Historians and writers have studied Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech for decades ever since.

The civil rights movement was deeply unpopular at the time of its occurrence — in

Changing your actions to suit a public space isn’t a bad thing. It’s only bad when it makes

-Paul J. Tafel ski

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