For every man who has lived on the surface of this earth, one thing is certain: you must have developed a thick skin to handle banter from your friends or colleagues, as it's quite common among guys. But where do we draw the line? Is there even a line to be drawn? Guys often tease each other with almost anything, not necessarily intending to insult but engage in banter.
Earlier this evening, we had a playful banter on my church singles platform. The question posed was, "Why are you single?" This banter escalated to a point where both men and women started engaging in playful banter, referencing the story of Adam and Eve.
Many men argued that Eve was deceitful and that she wanted Adam to experience suffering, which is why she gave him the forbidden fruit to eat. They further suggested that women nowadays follow a similar trait, aiming to manipulate and use men for their own benefit.
On the other hand, women in the group argued that many men can be just as wicked, and that Adam, like men today, was simply naive and often blamed women to protect their egos.
Personally, I reacted to everyone's opinions with funny memes and stickers on the group platform. I had my own opinions but chose not to share them, focusing instead on what I could learn from others. The situation grew intense, with emotions running high after someone mentioned ritual killings and another person mentioned rape.
At this point, I recognized it was time for the banter to stop, especially considering it was a church WhatsApp platform. My point is that sometimes there are genuine feelings concealed within banter, and people occasionally reveal their true thoughts. We need to listen carefully to pick up on these nuances. It's unfortunate that our society is filled with broken hearts and wounded souls, but we must ensure that we express ourselves in a considerate manner, respecting other people's feelings.
In the end, the group was temporarily locked by the admin because the banter had gone too far. Let's see what tomorrow brings. My two cents on this matter? Keep your eyes and ears open when people speak, whether it's banter or not, because there may be truths hidden within every word that people say.
All images used are from Unsplash
Thank you for reading
Best regards
Levi .