i’ve noticed something on twitter.
it doesn’t have a hash tag.
it won’t show up in the top 10 list.
but it happens a lot. i don’t think there’s an official name for it, and if there is, it doesn’t matter because i’m making one up.
it’s called the passive aggressive advice tweet—the paat, for short.

it looks like any other tweet, but there’s an agenda behind it that leaks through—sometimes subtlely. a lot of us are probably guilty of it without even realizing we’ve done it.

not sure what i’m talking about? well, paats read a little like this:

“brushed my teeth this morning. good oral hygiene is important.”

“harvested my own wheat this morning, because Jesus is the bread of life.”

“climbed Mount Everest this morning and I’m reminded of how the only thing that is stopping you from achieving your goals is you.”

“told my kids i loved them five times today. once just isn’t enough.”

“benched 400 pounds today. getting strong for whatever life brings.”

“be you. or be me. whichever is hardest, follow that path.”

“went the extra mile today. barefoot. on gravel. with extra sensitive feet.”

“just launched a new website. got a face lift. and made over our entire home inside and out. if nothing in your life is changing, then you must be some kind of idiot.”

basically, a paat is saying “watch me as i tweet.” do what i do.
follow my lead.
i got this.
pattern your life after mine . . . because I do life so well.
while nervously looking over their shoulder and wondering, “are you following me still? please be following me still.”

i’m not talking about the people who in true humility are putting everything out there to hold themselves accountable. some of you are going to the gym or making changes to your diet because a doctor has given you a warning that if you don’t, you’re going to be facing some really tough things. others of you are making some changes in your personal life that require more structure and discipline than you’ve ever had in the past, so you’re tweeting about it to stay on track.

and while some tweeters or FB posters may have the best intentions, others just come across as a little too . . . well, i’ll let you fill in the blank. then again, maybe i’m just being neurotic.

so i read the paats, shrug and move on, or give a courtesy “like” while skipping the gym and eating store-bought white bread.

and for the perpetrators of the paat, maybe you’ve uncovered the great secrets of life or you’re just as insecure as the rest of us, but do you have to dollop a little bit of “life lesson” into every tweet?

what are some paats you’ve seen in your FB newsfeed or twitter feed?

the contents on this site are ©2013 tim walker. all rights reserved. for permission to reprint or publish this content elsewhere, please contact me through this blog.