The six perfections (paramitas) are classical virtues in #Buddhism that train the mind and better the world. Here are ways I'll be trying to apply them on Post. 

1. Generosity (dana). By all means, smash that tip button, especially when someone can use the financial or emotional lift. But generosity doesn’t have to be financial. You can practice generosity by giving others the benefit of the doubt. Assume they have good intentions. Share your concerns without rushing to condemn or report. Give people a chance.

2. Ethical self-discipline (sila). The principle of “do not harm.” Right now most everyone is on their best behavior. But the site will get bigger, noisier, and more contentious. The temptation to get snarky and self-righteous, to pile on or to turn aside when others are bullied will still be there. So in these early days, I'll be trying to build the discipline of being better online. Keeping my ego in check. Treating others as I'd like to be treated. Recalling that behind the profile is a person who wants to be happy just as I do, even when their posts make me roll my eyes.

3. Patience (ksanti). The bird had our outrage reflexes set on a hair-trigger. Take a breath. Chuckle at your own annoyance. Go make a cup of coffee or tickle your cat. Hold your peace. To paraphrase a favorite teaching, if you let your thoughts and emotions arise and dissolve on their own, without reacting, they will cross your mind as a bird 😉 crosses the sky, without leaving a trace.

4. Joyful exertion (virya).  Help build positive community. Engage when you’re feeling happy and relaxed. Conflict is exhausting. Conversation is stimulating. Likes and positive comments aren't just affirnations, they're transfers of energy, little electronic snacks. We all know what an energy-drain social media can be. On this site, I'll aim to leave my visits feeling  energized instead of depleted.

5. Mental stability (dhyana). Doom-scrolling, zombie-scrolling, reposting without reading, been there, done that. Consider myself in recovery. Here I'm going to try to practice better mental hygiene. Leave Post alone when there's work to be done. Return when I can do so with intention or to relax when other tasks have been completed. More focused and engaged, less scattered and distracted.

6. Wisdom (Prajna). Everything is impermanent and nothing is as solid as it seems. Things come and go, even this social media platform. Don’t get too attached or  possessive. Don’t double down on fixed views, roles, and identities. Engage with an eagerness to have your certainties challenged and your biases disrupted. Don't abandon the Explore Feed for the Follow feed. Leave the boundaries of your community and your self as pemeable as possible.