BEAN SOUP THEORY... what about ME! #internetanalysis #beansoup #whataboutme

Even if you post the simplest thing, people will misunderstand you or try to say that you're wrong. Bean soup theory. Basically, a woman posted a TikTok, a recipe for bean soup. What if I don't like beans? Huh? So, bean soup has now become a shorthand, perfectly embodying these strange but incredibly common online interactions. You post a curly hair routine and someone comments, "This is useless. I have straight hair. " You tweet about the simple joy of having coffee with your husband in your garden and people are enraged because they don't have that coffee, husband, or garden. How inconsiderate. Most people don't get to go out to dinner on a weekday and this is really rude of you to show. Cocktails in the middle of the week? What a bunch of drunks. This is setting unrealistic expectations. Not everybody has friends. Not everybody lives close to a restaurant. Bean soup is a type of whataboutism. What about me? How dare a stranger post something that doesn't perfectly align with my individual lived experience? Is this due to people just being really self-centered or even narcissistic? Is it some kind of entitlement? The thought that everything you come across online should literally be catered for you? In response to these bean soup kind of comments, many people just say, "If it's not for you, keep scrolling. " Simple as that. If you don't like something, you can't relate, whatever. You actually don't have to leave a comment and let everyone know. — So, if I say to people, "If you don't teach your children how to read, they get dumber. " Do not come to me and say, "Well, I have dyslexia. Well, I have this learning disability. So, that's why I can't read. " I'm not talking to you. — This is where I'd argue bean soup falls under the umbrella of not comprehending nuance. Things either reflect me and are therefore right or they're not me and wrong.