A Twitter troll insulted Sarah Silverman—and we can all learn from the way she responded
The internet isn’t always a welcoming place, nor does it always play nice—especially in today’s rather divided political climate. Comedian Sarah Silverman, however, has been on a mission to get people talking to one another, and recently, she demonstrated the perfect way to do that when she replied to a Twitter troll with nothing but compassion.
In late December, someone responded to a tweet of Silverman’s with one simple (rude) word: “C—t.” But instead of blocking the troll or responding with vitriol of her own, Silverman chose a different route. She took a look through his timeline, took some time to understand where he was coming from, and responded with only positivity. Take a look below:
I believe in you. I read ur timeline & I see what ur doing & your rage is thinly veiled pain. But u know that. I know this feeling. Ps My back Fucking sux too. see what happens when u choose love. I see it in you.
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) December 29, 2017
Jeremy Jamrozy, the Twitter user who had lashed out at Silverman, responded with an actual discussion, explaining that he’d been assaulted at 8 years old and found it difficult to choose love. He also mentioned his financial situation, writing, “I’m poor so it’s hard to get help.”
“I can’t imagine your rage,” Silverman responded. She then went on to ask Jamrozy if he was using heroin (in his profile, he called himself a “junkie”) or self-medicating. When he said he wasn’t, she responded positively and recommended he get himself to a support group to help get past the trauma.
“You deserve support,” she wrote. “I see something in you. My gut tells me you could have a great life. My shrink says we don’t get what we want, we get what we think we deserve. I’m telling you, you deserve so much more than you know.”
After a bit of banter between the new friends, Silverman put out a call for help in San Antonio for Jamrozy, asking if anyone could help him with his back issues. Since then, she’s followed up, and in January, she shared a link to his GoFundMe to help him raise money for back treatment so he could get back on his feet. He was looking to raise a mere $150, but with Silverman’s shout-out, he’s already received close to $4,000.
Jeremy went for a consult and it’s worse than we hoped. If you’re so inclined, help get him on his feet and working again.
He’s in San Antonio if you’re an actual expert that can help with ur skills.. https://t.co/M61SdGWZh9— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) January 2, 2018
Speaking to The New York Times in October about the political divide in the United States, Silverman said, “I am interested in hearing about people’s feelings, and as corny and hippie-granola as it sounds, it is the root of everything.”
Judging by her graceful and compassionate response to harsh criticism on Twitter, it sounds like Silverman is living up to her beliefs—and it’s an example we could all stand to follow.