To ignore uplifting letter from nice friends?

[jrb123]

Has anyone else had this? I’ve had a couple of copies of this chain message so far, from very nice, kind friends. I don’t want to offend them, BUT:
“We've started an email collective for an uplifting exchange through Women Leaders. It's a one-time thing and we hope you will participate. We have included those we think would be willing to participate and make it meaningful! Please send a poem/quote/thought to the person whose name is in position 1 below (even if you don't know them/her/him). It should be a favorite text/verse/meditation that has affected you. Don't agonize over it. After you’ve sent the short poem/verse/quote/etc to the person in position #1, and only that person, copy this letter into a new email. In the text, move my name to position #1, and put your name in position #2. Only my name and your name should show in the copy of the new email. Then send the email to yourself and BCC 20 women you admire (blind copy). If you cannot do this in five days, let x know so it will be fair to those participating."
I’ve always hated chain letters and besides, the prospect of even thinking of an uplifting text / verse/ quote/ meditation / thought (most of mine are unprintable right now) to pass on to 20 women fills me with horror. Even worse would be the prospect of dozens of uplifting messages hitting my e-mail inbox - I have enough trouble managing to keep on top of the day to day stuff that pours in relentlessly. And I really don’t like what seems to me like moral blackmail. Or AIBU? P.S. I hate social media tags and challenges too – maybe that just makes me sad and grumpy.

Ignore. I really do not like chain letters and I think they cause a lot of unhappiness etc with people feeling they must keep it going.

Thanks for your support everyone - I feel a lot better now knowing we're all of like mind!

Do men ever share chain letters like this?

Just ignore.

I don't care who they are from I ignore all these kind of things.

I was going to say YABU until I realised it was that one. I’ve had that twice via email from work colleagues.

Delete and cringe.

Got it yesterday and have deleted. Like pp, I'm not sure I know 20 women, let alone 20 women I admire. Am surprised at the person it came from getting involved. Sounds a bit phishy to me.

Errghhh chain letters, stupid facebook repost or I'll delete you and worst of all that stupid herman cake. They can all fuck off. They all die with me, that is my promise to the universe.

I've had it from two different friends, and ignored it both times.

Oh and another thing about those six steps from one person to the entire UK population - you're sending stuff to people two steps up, so if you're in layers five and six you receive nothing. You're a slave.

You know you're in at least layer three (and is the person you're sending things to really the originator of the whole thing, who chose your friend as one of their besties? Or has this already been doing the rounds for a day or two?). So you're either in layer 4 or 5 or, you're a slave.

Obvs most people in the UK don't participate, so it gets sent around in ever decreasing circles to a few people who've already done it, before fizzling out.

Still, the persistence of chain letters (and MLMs) is healthy confirmation that half the population (and no I don't mean women, it's just that these particular schemes flush out the female examples) are indeed of below average intelligence*.

*You'd think. Though actually I've seen people I know to be intelligent share these things. They're just seeing 'friendly fun thing' and not pausing to think. Prime phishing opportunity.

I got one of these in my work email from a colleague who, though I don't work with directly, have had some dealings with and have time for in terms of stopping for a brief chat if we run into each other, but I just can't be bothered with it and have ignored it. Same as I ignore the FB posts that say 'I will know who my real friends are by who shares/copies and pastes this message', for some reason those really irritate me, mainly I think because they usually come from individuals who clearly spend most of their time on FB posting and sharing utter drivel. It's almost like a defiance thing with me and a rail against the manipulative notion that if you don't share this shit you're not my friend. Irritates the hell out of me.

Another one, who ignores that crap. I’ve had a couple from dds friend. Dd insisted on sending hers on. I said I wouldn’t be doing the same!

And yes, like pp I actively ignore all manipulative Fb posts. All that 'I'll know who my friends are', '99% of people won't bother', even quite worthy things that use the 'if just 3 of my friends would share this' line. Those are always for things that low-grade social contact, especially online, is unlikely to solve.

If you're such a great friend, good listener etc, your real friends already know that (and when I do try to schedule social stuff with those people, they're even harder to pin down than I am).

My feeling is that if the cause is worthwhile, it doesn't require crass emotional manipulation to ensure its furtherance.

Even all those 'my door is always open, my teapot overflowing' things, that very nice people share. I think 'actually, I'm not always available, I hate 'drop ins' and interruption when I'm busy but that has bog all to do with whether I'd actually be a good friend to someone I care about, in need or in crisis, for whom I would drop other things and rearrange my priorities.

Well said, everyone!

@lottiegarbanzo

Fortunately I'm not smart enough to even bother wasting brain capacity on understanding that

I've only had it from one person, who surprised me, as she's a mental health nurse. I'd have thought she'd be a lot more inclined to actually useful acts than this irritating nonsense.