OPINION: Distance between praise and pile-on, back and butt, is wafer thin

ARE we living in the golden age of opinion? Or, perhaps more accurately, the golden age of instant opinion - loud, certain, and often unforgiving.

Recent times have offered a reminder of that old phrase: “People make plans and God laughs”. 

Take the Cork hurlers. Heading into the All-Ireland final, they were the red-hot favourites. Cork hurling fans were dreaming big, with hopes high and hearts full. They were loud and proud, and too much for many. A county holding its breath, a 20-year wait ready to be broken. Then, Tipperary happened.

In the hours and days that followed, the commentary was relentless. Pat Ryan and his men went from being lauded as heroes following their Munster final victory over Limerick via penalties to being roasted online. 

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As another saying goes, “The distance between a pat on the back and a kick on the butt is just inches.” Cork’s panel and management have learned that the hard way. 

Social media feeds and WhatsApp groups were flooded within minutes of the final whistle with memes, comments, videos and photos ridiculing the fallen Rebels. 

But it wasn’t just Cork feeling the heat online. In an entirely different sphere, a video of the CEO of Astronomer with his arms around a co-worker - both of whom were married to others -  went viral during a Coldplay concert days previously. The fallout was instant and unforgiving. Memes flew, judgements poured in, and somehow the incident was even linked to the Cork hurlers in yet another viral meme. 

Humans being humans, there’s nothing quite like someone else’s downfall to bring out the self-appointed jury in all of us.

You have to wonder - how did we survive before social media? Were we just a nation of pent-up opinions?

Every day, under our own Limerick Leader stories on Facebook, the comments pour in. Court case? Opinions. Celeb story? Opinions. Business opening? Opinions again.  These opinions are often misinformed,  and  posted by people hiding behind fake names and blank profile pictures. There’s little room for manoeuvre when you’ve already decided you’re right. Some seem to comment on everything. It can feel like the world - and their mother - has something to say, all day, every day.

But let’s be fair: while the loudest voices tend to dominate online, most people are still more measured. They understand that life turns fast, and it’s easy to be wise after the event. It’s even easier to hit “comment” in a moment of self-righteousness. 

But as any Cork hurler (or viral video subject) could tell you - the distance between praise and pile-on, back and butt is wafer thin.

We could all do with remembering that.