Ada’s Apple: Some Century-Old Tips for Handling Social Media Attacks

Lessons from Ada Chesterton about handling haters.

Ada Chesterton had an interesting reaction when jeered by her audience at Glasgow University in 1925. Fei Meng

In his biography of writer G.K. Chesterton, “Wisdom and Innocence,” Joseph Pearce recorded an incident that has a message for anyone using social media.

In 1925, Ada Chesterton was invited to speak to students at Glasgow University on behalf of her brother-in-law, G.K. Chesterton, who was one of three candidates for university rector. She was warned in advance that “the students might hotly resent being addressed by a woman.” Just before entering the hall, in a moment of inspiration, she slipped into a nearby dining room and took an apple from the sideboard.

When she rose to speak, “howls of derision greeted me, every and any noise added—whistles, mouth organs.” She first tried simply standing her ground and smiling, but when that failed to calm the audience, she pulled the apple from her purse and took a bite.

“It was the funniest sensation to watch the sudden surprised faces, the gradual slackening of noise as I methodically munched,” Ada Chesterton wrote.

“And then, a clear, boyish voice called from high up, near the ceiling, ‘Carry on, Eve—we’ve fallen!’

“And they had. I never met a more appreciative audience, and when I finished they broke into cheers.”

G.K. Chesterton eventually lost the election, but Ada Chesterton had won the day.

Her ordeal bears similarities to today’s attacks on social media, ranging from a venomous and anonymous enemy to a mob howling for blood. Often the victims of these assaults seem taken completely by surprise, apologizing for their supposed effrontery or deleting the post.

In facing up to those rowdy students, Ada Chesterton provided us with some excellent tactics for engaging these aggressors.

Forewarned Is Forearmed

Ada Chesterton knew well what awaited her. Acquaintances had warned her of the taunts she would face, and she could hear the uproar as she approached the hall.

If you wish to share beliefs that you back to the hilt on social media, like her, you must anticipate blowback. To avoid unnecessarily ticking off your readers, you might ask a friend for comments before publishing a post. Another pair of eyes often helps, and considering their suggestions might prevent a major explosion.

Play It Cool

Faced with those raucous students, Ada Chesterton might have left the stage in tears or in a rage. Instead, she faced her tormentors, silent and smiling.

Before responding to curses and insults with more of the same, take a little time to simmer down and think. It helps to keep in mind that if you’re writing about politics or culture and the attacks on you are personal, rather than to your points, your antagonists have already lost the argument because they can’t make one.

You don’t have to step into that children’s sandbox. Show some class, as did Ada Chesterton, and be the adult.

Keep a Sense of Humor

Whether Ada Chesterton meant to reference the Garden of Eden by biting into that apple we’ll never know, but that delightful shout from a young man in the audience should make us smile. Like Ada Chesterton chewing her apple, he took in the ridiculous situation and used wit to blow it to smithereens.

If you decide to follow their example of using humor to defuse anger, remember to keep it light and positive. Here’s one all you feline lovers might try. When someone calls you [expletive] crazy, simply reply as this person did: “How dare you call me mentally unstable, on this, the day of my cat’s quinceanera?”

Stay Classy

In her excellent article “Should I Respond to Negative Comments on Social Media?” Arlin Cuncic, an expert on social anxiety, offers other helpful advice, such as being positive in posting and polite even in the face of nastiness and unfriending toxic personalities if they go on sniping at you.

At one point, Cuncic wrote: “Don’t get defensive, don’t be angry, and stay classy. Otherwise, you will come across as having lost your cool and will appear less credible.”

Ada Chesterton would have agreed wholeheartedly with her.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.