<p>Grohl challenged Stephen King who posted and challenged John Grisham. </p>
<p>Then why didn’t you post that? I figured you weren’t thirsty. When someone says “Enlighten me”, it means anything but. </p>
<p>The only ice bucket challenges I like are the ones that provide information about ALS. I like when they provide a link to an organization, a charity, or to a video. Does a better job informing and spreading awareness then the ol’ “I’m doing this. You do it, too.” ;
</p>
<p>Yes. When I did it I provided a link to the donation site and information about the disease. Two of the people who I tagged chose not to do it. Nobody noticed. Even me. I do get that it isn’t for everyone and that some feel awkward about it. But so much important good has come out of it. This challenge hasn’t caused any actual suffering. It has helped alleviate suffering that is very profound.</p>
<p>It frustrates me that some of you undermine the social awkwardness or anxiety that something like this brings. You aren’t bothered by it? - GREAT. But emotions and personality work differently for different people. I’ll add to my above comments that one of my first thoughts when seeing I was challenged (besides, a big “NO!” ) was well, this person at work challenged me and while she is not an outside of work friend I would feel really awkward turning her down - I’m sure it would pass but it could be an uncomfortable moment at work after she comes in, announces she challenged me…people are waiting for it to happen, and then…it doesn’t??? For ME, that’s a lot of worry. </p>
<p>Anyway, my last words on the subject. And I will say after viewing this video this morning, I am happy to do it in my own privacy, for people like this young man and his family. His words mean a lot and bring a new angle that DOES appeal to me - that an ALS patient or family member gets a lot of satisfaction from seeing the videos, knowing people are doing it and as a side bonus, ALS is growing it’s donation $$$ pot.</p>
<p><a href=“ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: Man With Lou Gehrig's Disease Makes Video | Time”>http://time.com/3149803/als-ice-bucket-challenge-2/</a></p>
<p>Abasket…then DO NOT do it. No one is forcing anyone to do the ice bucket challenge. It’s completely optional. </p>
<p>“If all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump off it too?”</p>
<p>We tell our kids to resist peer pressure - pressure that’s a heck of lot stronger than a tag on FB. </p>
<p>I know you’re on the wellness thread. If someone in your workplace comes in with a box of cookies and urges you to take one, I know that you have the ability to smile pleasantly, say no thanks and carry on. This seems very similar to me. </p>
<p>90% of the people who are doing this would do it even if there were no charity involved. Just because it’s kind of funny. So the fact that the charity gets money is really gravy.</p>
<p>If I get challenged, and decide to do it, I’m not going to name anybody. I’m going to say, “I challenge the three people who love me the most to do this.”</p>
<p>Also, if you decide you don’t want to dump ice on yourself, send a dollar to ALS. Nobody needs to know how much you gave.</p>
<p>I got at least five requests a week to play Candy Crush (I think I finally figured out how to make that stop). I’m not interested so I ignored those requests. </p>
<p>At least the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is for a worthy cause. I cannot say the same for Candy Crush.</p>
<p>“well, this person at work challenged me and while she is not an outside of work friend I would feel really awkward turning her down - I’m sure it would pass but it could be an uncomfortable moment at work after she comes in, announces she challenged me…people are waiting for it to happen, and then…it doesn’t??? For ME, that’s a lot of worry.”</p>
<p>People at work ask coworkers to do things all the time – will you buy Girl Scout cookies or wrapping paper from my kid, will you sponsor me in a charity walk, etc. Have you found it uncomfortable in the past to be asked these things if you aren’t interested in doing that? I guess I’ve always found that they aren’t really all that interested in me personally - they’re just trying to get takers. I doubt your coworker is really losing any sleep over whether you do the IBC or not!</p>
<p>I get what @abasket is saying (even though I would love to do the ice bucket challenge, just because it looks like so much fun). Workplaces are different. At my workplace, no one asks you INDIVIDUALLY if you want to buy cookies or sponsor them. People generally send out a mass email or set up the cookies, etc. around their desk area, and you can respond or not. If abasket works in a place like that, and then someone asked her individually about this specific one, I can see how that can feel really uncomfortable.</p>
<p>“I know you’re on the wellness thread. If someone in your workplace comes in with a box of cookies and urges you to take one, I know that you have the ability to smile pleasantly, say no thanks and carry on. This seems very similar to me”</p>
<p>While I agree with you on the peer pressure issue, there is a difference between these two scenarios. A cookie politely refused = “Oohhh, she has the willpower!” A challenge for charity not accepted leaves a different kind of impression. </p>
<p>What prevents you from just doing the ice bucket challenge, posting it on FB and then tagging whoever you want to tag? There’s no law that says you have to be actually challenged to do it. </p>
<p>I actually DO hate being approached to buy wrapping paper, cookies, etc. I never asked co-workers to do this. Again, that’s just me! </p>
<p>Re: the cookie situation. PG says, “This seems very similar to me.” Again, that’s similar to YOU. You and your social outlook sees it as similar. For me, it’s not. All I’m trying to show is that for some (assuming there is at least one more person in the world besides me who feels this way) this method of putting someone on the spot is uncomfortable. </p>
<p>I’m actually pretty opinionated. I wouldn’t jump off the bridge. I have no problem defending why I wouldn’t jump. But I also would never put the pressure on someone to jump. It’s not in my personality. The ALS challenge is a sensitive issue - the cause is IMPORTANT. I would not choose to make anyone uncomfortable about being called out to participate - I would just hope that people who see it, see others, hear the cause, etc. - are affected, become educated and then support it if they chose to - with or without the ice - with or without the $$$ donation. </p>
<p>I don’t expect to make you adopt my point of view PG. But I would hope to see some respect for another side of the issue. Maybe my words have shed a little light on another point of view for someone here.</p>
<p>I think anybody who accepts this challenge should use discretion in choosing other people to challenge. Choose the people who you think would enjoy doing it, not those who would be most embarrassed. If you stop and think, you can probably figure out which is which.</p>
<p>My son just got challenged. The person who did it likes my son a lot (I believe), and so I think it’s a compliment.</p>
<p>It never occurred to me that this would make people uncomfortable.
I just thought it was a novel way to get people talking about the disease & its fun to see the different ways people choose to respond. And certainly it has been very successful at raising money!</p>
<p>If I was tagged, I would either do it or not, but I doubt I would feel as much pressure as when a coworker brings in homemade treats. Not that I would have trouble declining, but it seems rude & some feel insulted.
Especially when bodywise you are more fit than they, it feels critical of them.
If I have lots of will power that day, I just take one, & take it home to H.
( of course I have to put it in a bag on the back seat so I don’t nibble it absentmindedly when I am stuck in traffic)</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone who tagged me to respond to the ice challenge would feel insulted if I didn’t feel like posting a video of myself.</p>
<p>I agree with you on the candycrush & farmville. I block all games.
If I am going to play a game, I don’t play it on facebook and it is more likely to be TwoDots.
:D</p>
<p>I see your point. I’m just saying that I don’t see - at least on my FB feed, for whatever that’s worth – any type of “harassing” (for lack of a better word) people who choose not to be participate. And I hope you understand that many (most?) of the people who are doing this aren’t trying to pressure their friends – just goodheartedly ask them to join in something they consider fun and a good cause. </p>
<p>I wanted some of my friends to participate in a dance marathon with me a few years ago (it is on my bucket list). Some of them said they would, but in kind of a non-committal sense. I tagged them on Facebook with a light-hearted “hey, join me, ladies!” They didn’t. Personally, I don’t think anything more of it than they got busy and life intervened and this wasn’t as important to them as it is to me - which is just perfectly fine. Any “resentment” I would have towards them would be a poor reflection on me, not them. </p>
<p>So there you go Emerald - a perfect example of the point I’m trying to make! I am uncomfortable with the ice bucket challenge, you are not. You would be uncomfortable saying no to a home baked treat, I would not! </p>
<p>We are all different. We have different barometers of what bothers/effects/touches us. For the most part, those differences are all OK - if we respect and acknowledge that. </p>
<p>“What prevents you from just doing the ice bucket challenge, posting it on FB and then tagging whoever you want to tag? There’s no law that says you have to be actually challenged to do it.”</p>
<p>Was that question for me? If so, I am not on social media - used to be in college, but not any more. So, I could do it, but it wouldn’t really raise awareness, as it is intented, since apart from my close friends who see the video, no one would really see it.</p>
<p>When this started I thought it was $10 if you do the challenge, and $100 if you don’t. Now it seems to be you don’t have to donate if you do the challenge? So people are celebrating, laughing, having fun about not contributing?
The pressure factor reminds me of the Seinfeld episode about not wearing the AIDS ribbon.</p>