We’re living in a time where society holds tremendous power over the trajectory of an individual’s career. Say one not-so-politically-correct comment, and you’ll be “canceled.”
This tenuous environment has produced an epidemic of cowardice in our country. The truth? More people are canceling themselves than are being canceled.
By that, I mean walking back comments. Self-censoring. Self-berating. Rejecting truth in a sheepish attempt to save their own skin.
We saw this in the news this week with the story of Cole and Savannah LaBrant, popular YouTubers who bravely published a video on abortion, only to bow to the mob and apologize for stating the facts. Instagram took their video down, but YouTube hasn’t — and maybe the LaBrants will get there first.
What good is a platform that allows free speech if we’ve trained ourselves to self-censor, to self-cancel? If given the opportunity to speak freely, be courageous and speak the truth. And then, hold firm to your word.