My point is that habitually responding with comments that are snarky, partially true, and irrelevant to boot, is indicative of a deep character flaw. The fact that the commenter thinks it's clever just makes things worse. It derails the conversation and propagates ignorance. He could have responded to me in a civil fashion and explained where I was wrong, and I would have responded respectfully. He didn't but instead tried to score a cheap shot.
Voxday describes it perfectly in the gamma male, explains where it comes from, and why people (men specifically) behave this way. People make a choice to to act like this, it needlessly makes them miserable, and likely does those around them also.
Frankly I really don't really care what people think of me as long as I'm not mistaken for Jeff Childers. I do however respond to people with the same crap they give me. I do this for one reason only, so they can see what it's like. Most people are too "polite" to give people a taste of the own medicine. I'm not.
I broadly agree with your take in this "Islam" thread, but I'm not sure why "read the Quran to understand what Islam really teaches" is irrelevant? Snarky yes, and not nuanced, but it still seems kind of on-point.
Thanks TB, I appreciate your comment. By irrelevant I meant that it wasn't in response to what I wrote. I never said anything about the Koran but spoke to the moral character of devout Muslims. I see your point that it might not have been the best word as it could be considered tangentially relevant. Straw man might have been a better term.
These reply guys always do the same thing; respond in an extremely condescending and sneering manner, throw out half truths that muddy the picture, and argue against points that no one actually made. One, two, three, every time. They think it makes them look clever but it actually shows how they are obsessed with drawing attention to themselves. Imagine tying to have a conversation with someone like this.
Note that this is exactly how Benjaminn behaves.
The thing is that while not only being annoying to everyone else, it also makes them more and more miserable. Instead of getting the expected kudos for their perceived brilliance, they are shunned for their boorish behavior. Then they wonder why they can't get a girl, make friends, or advance in a career. They could stop this if they wanted to but don't, but instead go into a downward spiral.
At it's heart is an ugly combination of arrogance and self-pity, which I truly believe comes from the devil himself.
Ah, that's fair; it just wasn't clear initially. I certainly have found that responding with at least a little depth leads to better discussion, even when I'm pointing out what seems like a dumb mistake in a comment.
Although sometimes I think most of us have a hard time resisting the urge to reply with an "awesome" one-liner...
You wrote all that...and I still don't see your point. You didn't do much better than the person you're attempting to lambaste, even worse possibly.
My point is that habitually responding with comments that are snarky, partially true, and irrelevant to boot, is indicative of a deep character flaw. The fact that the commenter thinks it's clever just makes things worse. It derails the conversation and propagates ignorance. He could have responded to me in a civil fashion and explained where I was wrong, and I would have responded respectfully. He didn't but instead tried to score a cheap shot.
Voxday describes it perfectly in the gamma male, explains where it comes from, and why people (men specifically) behave this way. People make a choice to to act like this, it needlessly makes them miserable, and likely does those around them also.
Frankly I really don't really care what people think of me as long as I'm not mistaken for Jeff Childers. I do however respond to people with the same crap they give me. I do this for one reason only, so they can see what it's like. Most people are too "polite" to give people a taste of the own medicine. I'm not.
I broadly agree with your take in this "Islam" thread, but I'm not sure why "read the Quran to understand what Islam really teaches" is irrelevant? Snarky yes, and not nuanced, but it still seems kind of on-point.
Thanks TB, I appreciate your comment. By irrelevant I meant that it wasn't in response to what I wrote. I never said anything about the Koran but spoke to the moral character of devout Muslims. I see your point that it might not have been the best word as it could be considered tangentially relevant. Straw man might have been a better term.
These reply guys always do the same thing; respond in an extremely condescending and sneering manner, throw out half truths that muddy the picture, and argue against points that no one actually made. One, two, three, every time. They think it makes them look clever but it actually shows how they are obsessed with drawing attention to themselves. Imagine tying to have a conversation with someone like this.
Note that this is exactly how Benjaminn behaves.
The thing is that while not only being annoying to everyone else, it also makes them more and more miserable. Instead of getting the expected kudos for their perceived brilliance, they are shunned for their boorish behavior. Then they wonder why they can't get a girl, make friends, or advance in a career. They could stop this if they wanted to but don't, but instead go into a downward spiral.
At it's heart is an ugly combination of arrogance and self-pity, which I truly believe comes from the devil himself.
Ah, that's fair; it just wasn't clear initially. I certainly have found that responding with at least a little depth leads to better discussion, even when I'm pointing out what seems like a dumb mistake in a comment.
Although sometimes I think most of us have a hard time resisting the urge to reply with an "awesome" one-liner...