Mike O’Hearn details his tactics for not only avoiding hate online but also preventing it from affecting his mental state.
Bullying has always existed in the world. And it’s been a serious problem that can lead to painful mental health problems for victims. This has been exacerbated with the boom of online and social media. Instead of someone in your local community bullying you – it can be anyone from around the world. Not only that, it can be an army of voices. This can have serious consequences on your mental health. Public figures, such as celebrity bodybuilders, are beacons for attention. This also means being a beacon for bullying, hate, and vile comments. In our latest GI Exclusive, Mike O’Hearn shares his fool proof tips for stopping hate and how he avoids letting them get under his skin.
Mike O’Hearn is no stranger to hate online. Between the constant claims that he is lying about being natural and your general run of the mill online trolls – O’Hearn has had his fair share of hurtful comments lobbed at him. But you wouldn’t know that by speaking with him. Much like O’Hearn’s superhuman commitment to his training schedule for over 30 years, he rarely twitches when it comes to hate directed at him. What’s his secret?
During our recent conversation with Mike O’Hearn, we asked him his tactics with dealing with haters online. The information he shared is advice on two fronts – mental tactics for your own health and actionable tactics to prevent more hate in the future.
On the mental front, Mike O’Hearn urges anyone who faces online hate to realize that the people commenting are “below you.” What he means by that is – a bully is someone who feels the need to make petty comments at you. They are not someone you know. They are likely not someone you would respect. The mere fact that you, most likely, would not make such hateful comments online shows that you are in a better place than the hater. O’Hearn stresses that this must be remembered. People who are more powerful than you rarely would take the time to attack you in such a way.
That’s easier said than done of course. A barrage of hateful comments online can pierce even the strongest of minds. So it’s also important to not allow the hateful comments through. It’s sometimes frowned upon for public figures to police their comment sections. Blocking can be seen as a disingenuous gesture to hide the “truth” of their fanbase. Mike O’Hearn couldn’t disagree more.
O’Hearn opens up about how liberally he blocks people on his comment pages. Even for one slight offense – he and his team will block the user permanently. Why? Because it’s not the truth of his fanbase. Odds are they aren’t a fan at all. And why would he subject himself to reading such awful statements day in and day out? Mike O’Hearn believes that all people with any online presence should do the same. The cleaner you can keep your online pages – the happier you will be when interacting with your fans online.
At the end of the day, Mike O’Hearn makes it clear with a direct statement, “Trolls are complete losers.” That might not mean it’s easy to prevent them from getting under your skin. That’s why if you follow O’Hearn’s two tactics, you might create a new mindset in your relationship with not only your fans but yourself. Out of sight, out of mind.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn go into full detail about how he deals with hate and bullying online in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
