6 ms·

Some people just like it. It's not an addiction, there's no "reason", it's just fun to be a dick online. Why does nobody ever think of this? There always has to

by EC1 11y ago

Some people just like it. It's not an addiction, there's no "reason", it's just fun to be a dick online. Why does nobody ever think of this? There always has to be some sort of grand underlying psychological reason. You're reaching much too deep into it, even comparing it to Heroine addiction. Just, wow.

6stringmerc 11y ago
As noted I was basing some things on personal experience and observations, so while he might "just like" being a dick online there's this thing called biology which can influence why we like the things we like. >You're reaching much too deep into it, even comparing it to Heroine addiction. Just, wow. If you're going to talk down at me, at least spell heroin right or don't bother. I'm already familiar with the Greater Internet F-Wad Theory.
bobby_9x 11y ago
"it's just fun to be a dick online." Because someone who would go to those lengths to just 'be a dick online' has an underlying psychological problem. They get off on it, and it's not something a healthy society should want to continue.
- cuckcuckspruce 11y ago
  At what point does that behavior become escapism, especially given that these actions took place on a forum for a game where you're very explicitly allowed to be trollish?
- jsmthrowaway 11y ago
  I would contend that: (a) everyone universally fantasizes about nonconformity at one time or another (go ahead, disagree), (b) almost everyone has too much of a stake in their life to actually follow through on it, so they bottle it up, (c) a number of hobbies exist to "blow off [that] steam" or otherwise find catharsis, but not everyone finds these, (d) those who troll like this have found their hobby that works for them and are actually more psychologically healthy than those who have not. Just a theory. I've known some trolls who are easily among the smartest, sanest people in the world, and who are totally normal in all other aspects of their lives. Some are dear friends. This activity has been described in these terms by more than one of them. Countercultural behavior is practically a rhythm throughout history, and trolling is the Internet's counterculture, which can be mean because of anonymity. Some people go too far with it, yes. Some people go too far with anything, though. My point is be careful ascribing psychological illness to something you do not understand. That is crazy. Trolls don't care what you think. If you and many others respond by calling them crazy, what are you really saying? Think about it. Appealing to a good and decent society that ought to do something about this menace is pretty strange, too. I have trolled before. I'm not good at it, but I have. I can vouch for the positive feeling it produces and I've come to terms with what that means about me and my self. This is the thesis of numerous psychological works as well as, say, Fight Club (it's uncanny how well that story fits the big points I hit on, including taking it too far and plurality of self, and I don't think anyone disagrees that Palahniuk was onto something).
  - bobby_9x 11y ago
    "Just a theory. I've known some trolls who are easily among the smartest, sanest people in the world, and who are totally normal in all other aspects of their lives. Some are dear friends. This activity has been described in these terms by more than one of them." If trolling was in a vacuum, I would say go for it. But it's not. The trolling described in this article have real consequences and hurt real people. It's pretty well known that really smart people suffer from mental issues more often than the rest. "My point is be careful ascribing psychological illness to something you do not understand. That is crazy." It's not that I don't understand it. Frankly, I'm tired of dealing with it and wish more people would just exclude these trolls completely from society. psychological illness or not, it's causing real-world damage to many people. Trolling actually hurts many causes. For instance, it hurt gamer gate. Instead of just letting the facts sit, trolls have to make things up. "I have trolled before. I'm not good at it, but I have. I can vouch for the positive feeling it produces and I've come to terms with what that means about me and my self." That you're an asshole? "This is the thesis of numerous psychological works as well as, say, Fight Club (in a way)." Your entire post is glorifying trolling. I'm not entirely sure why. I actually see trolling as an act of someone with lower intelligence. If you don't have a real point to make, you need to cover it up. It also causes me to instantly ignore anything you say in the future.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - EC1 11y ago
      A real troll you wouldn't even know. The idea is to get your entire mentality in the tip of their finger so they can wind you up and down whenever they need to.
      - hluska 11y ago
        What kind of healthy individual would gain any sort of pleasure from taking that level of control over another?
- DanBC 11y ago
  Given the options "enjoys being a dick online" and "enjoys being a dick online AND has a mental illness", the first is more likely.
mwfunk 11y ago
I think you're missing the point. If someone gets off on being a dick to other people in any context, whether it's online or in person, then that person has a psychological problem. They are under the impression that what they do online is not connected with "real life", and they enjoy being a dick to other people. Both of those things are very negative qualities for a kid to have (although not uncommon, because kids), but if someone still has both of those qualities as an adult then yes, it is absolutely a symptom of a psychological problem.
rconti 11y ago
Trolls are vandals. They subtract value from the community. They are worse than useless.

by EC1 11y ago

6stringmerc 11y ago

As noted I was basing some things on personal experience and observations, so while he might "just like" being a dick online there's this thing called biology which can influence why we like the things we like. >You're reaching much too deep into it, even comparing it to Heroine addiction. Just, wow. If you're going to talk down at me, at least spell heroin right or don't bother. I'm already familiar with the Greater Internet F-Wad Theory.

bobby_9x 11y ago

"it's just fun to be a dick online." Because someone who would go to those lengths to just 'be a dick online' has an underlying psychological problem. They get off on it, and it's not something a healthy society should want to continue.

cuckcuckspruce 11y ago
At what point does that behavior become escapism, especially given that these actions took place on a forum for a game where you're very explicitly allowed to be trollish?
jsmthrowaway 11y ago
I would contend that: (a) everyone universally fantasizes about nonconformity at one time or another (go ahead, disagree), (b) almost everyone has too much of a stake in their life to actually follow through on it, so they bottle it up, (c) a number of hobbies exist to "blow off [that] steam" or otherwise find catharsis, but not everyone finds these, (d) those who troll like this have found their hobby that works for them and are actually more psychologically healthy than those who have not. Just a theory. I've known some trolls who are easily among the smartest, sanest people in the world, and who are totally normal in all other aspects of their lives. Some are dear friends. This activity has been described in these terms by more than one of them. Countercultural behavior is practically a rhythm throughout history, and trolling is the Internet's counterculture, which can be mean because of anonymity. Some people go too far with it, yes. Some people go too far with anything, though. My point is be careful ascribing psychological illness to something you do not understand. That is crazy. Trolls don't care what you think. If you and many others respond by calling them crazy, what are you really saying? Think about it. Appealing to a good and decent society that ought to do something about this menace is pretty strange, too. I have trolled before. I'm not good at it, but I have. I can vouch for the positive feeling it produces and I've come to terms with what that means about me and my self. This is the thesis of numerous psychological works as well as, say, Fight Club (it's uncanny how well that story fits the big points I hit on, including taking it too far and plurality of self, and I don't think anyone disagrees that Palahniuk was onto something).
- bobby_9x 11y ago
  "Just a theory. I've known some trolls who are easily among the smartest, sanest people in the world, and who are totally normal in all other aspects of their lives. Some are dear friends. This activity has been described in these terms by more than one of them." If trolling was in a vacuum, I would say go for it. But it's not. The trolling described in this article have real consequences and hurt real people. It's pretty well known that really smart people suffer from mental issues more often than the rest. "My point is be careful ascribing psychological illness to something you do not understand. That is crazy." It's not that I don't understand it. Frankly, I'm tired of dealing with it and wish more people would just exclude these trolls completely from society. psychological illness or not, it's causing real-world damage to many people. Trolling actually hurts many causes. For instance, it hurt gamer gate. Instead of just letting the facts sit, trolls have to make things up. "I have trolled before. I'm not good at it, but I have. I can vouch for the positive feeling it produces and I've come to terms with what that means about me and my self." That you're an asshole? "This is the thesis of numerous psychological works as well as, say, Fight Club (in a way)." Your entire post is glorifying trolling. I'm not entirely sure why. I actually see trolling as an act of someone with lower intelligence. If you don't have a real point to make, you need to cover it up. It also causes me to instantly ignore anything you say in the future.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - EC1 11y ago
    A real troll you wouldn't even know. The idea is to get your entire mentality in the tip of their finger so they can wind you up and down whenever they need to.
    - hluska 11y ago
      What kind of healthy individual would gain any sort of pleasure from taking that level of control over another?
DanBC 11y ago
Given the options "enjoys being a dick online" and "enjoys being a dick online AND has a mental illness", the first is more likely.

mwfunk 11y ago

I think you're missing the point. If someone gets off on being a dick to other people in any context, whether it's online or in person, then that person has a psychological problem. They are under the impression that what they do online is not connected with "real life", and they enjoy being a dick to other people. Both of those things are very negative qualities for a kid to have (although not uncommon, because kids), but if someone still has both of those qualities as an adult then yes, it is absolutely a symptom of a psychological problem.

rconti 11y ago

Trolls are vandals. They subtract value from the community. They are worse than useless.