So many people overflowing with venom and spite and viciousness.
Hidden away in backrooms, spilling their hatred all over cyberspace. And any other space they can commandeer.
Usually anonymous. Too cowardly to identify themselves.
Hatred for anything they don't understand. Homosexuals, socialists, atheists, welfare claimants, the unemployed, immigrants, pacifists, fat people, transgender, abortions.
So many things they don't understand.
What horrible lives they must have had to get so addled with hatred.
Tyrannical fathers maybe. School bullies. Mean bosses. Nasty spouses. Greedy landlords. Inflexible officials.
Or maybe it's bred in the bone. A genetic flaw. A birth defect.
Who can say?
But so much hatred where there could be love. Compassion. Curiosity. Enjoyment.
So much hatred poisoning and souring society.
And poisoning and souring their own souls.
How can all that hatred be dissolved?
I wish I knew.
I wish I had some answers.
I just don't have a lot of patience for anonymous haters. Trolls, is what they are. In fact, I think the semi-anonymity of the internet encourages people to spew venom because they can't really be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteIs it because they live miserable lives...unappreciated?
ReplyDeleteI would like to think so, but having had experience of internet nastiness in my husband's family they seem to be all too full of themselves...to the extent of thinking that I could not track them down.
I have just one. She can't even see a photo of a cute kitten without making some disparaging remark. I tend to leave her comments just to allow her an outlet for her bile (unless it's uber-offensive).
ReplyDeleteHate is a very strong emotion. I've no doubt we all have things we dislike, find distasteful, or mistrust, but when a person has an all-consuming hatred then there's clearly some sort of deep-rooted issue.
ReplyDeleteAs for those universal haters that inflict their constant barrage of bile upon everyone and everything, especially internet trolls who have nothing else in their pointless lives, I don't know whether they need help or just putting out of their misery.
Agent: I agree, the tolerance of semi-anonymity allows people to let rip as freely as they like, and to indulge in increasingly extreme abuse.
ReplyDeleteHelen: They certainly won't be appreciated if all they do is spout vitriolic insults!
Cro Magnon: Anyone who can think of a sour remark about a cute kitten has a remarkably warped imagination!
ReplyDeleteDave: Some deep-rooted issue at work, I have no doubt. If only they'd consult a therapist instead of spewing bile over everything that moves.
I was thinking about this very topic the other day, Nick. Was it not always there, but we are just more aware of it now thanks to the speed and variety of technology at our fingertips?
ReplyDeleteGrannymar: I think being able to comment anonymously has greatly increased the volume of abuse. Before the internet, the usual forum was the letters page in newspapers, and in general anonymity wasn't allowed, you had to give your real name. That must have silenced a lot of people who now feel free to be as extreme as they like.
ReplyDeleteI quit reading the comments to any news article, even local news. The hate and ignorance is disturbing.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the club.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: I avoid reading comments as well. As you say, the hate and ignorance is appalling. I think some newspapers have scrapped comments for that reason.
ReplyDeleteRamana: It's a global disease, isn't it? The main reason I've never joined Twitter is that I don't want to be associated with all these hate-filled trolls.
their "balance" is all outta plum - does that have a "b" on the end...they need to get out more as well.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience anger is just a product of fear and stupidity in varying amounts
ReplyDeleteCathy: They're certainly mentally unbalanced. And yes, if they got out more, they might realise all these things they hate so much are actually quite straightforward.
ReplyDeleteJohn: Fear and stupidity indeed. I think fear of the unknown is remarkably common. And anger is an easier option than curiosity and trying to figure things out.
A lot of it is bred by patriarchal religions' biases, the extreme fundies. Intolerance of everything, even Starbuck's for feck's sake.
ReplyDeleteI like to see such ignorance called out and many people do, including myself.
It's the only way to remain sane.
XO
WWW
"But so much hatred where there could be love. Compassion. Curiosity. Enjoyment." Amen to that!
ReplyDeleteEarlier in the year someone started trying to tear me down in her comments to my posts, presumably to make herself feel better. I didn't react until a couple of my readers said they felt uncomfortable, then I warned the person to stop the nastiness or I would have to delete her comments. I did delete one and she switched her attacks to emails to other people. They were easy to ignore, and the nastiness was off my site, which I try to make friendly and welcoming. I don't like to censor, but there are times one needs to.
www: Patriarchal religions, for sure. Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party is heavily influenced by religion and they oppose any political reforms that go against their religion, like same-sex marriage. "Democratic" is the one thing they are not.
ReplyDeleteJean: I've had the same problem. It's annoying when one particular blog visitor sets out to undermine me every which way. And if you try to counter their bizarre comments, they just come back with a whole lot more.
I think there have always been people like that around. I hope that they're getting rid of their hate into cyberspace instead of those around them but I wouldn't be sure.
ReplyDeleteas the resident pollyanna gusher i probably shouldn't comment on this post. LOLOL!
ReplyDeletebut i think we need less religion and more simple kindness.
i believe in thoughts as powerful THINGS. over matter... as in disease... and over the world's collective flow.
and the collective thoughts in the world right now all are so violent and mean. it's like we're on this great train that won't stop now.
because its continually fueled by more and more hatred.
and the judging. of everyone about everything!
that's the worst of all.
when people judge there is no room for kindness.
i love what the dalai lama says...
his religion is simple. it's kindness.
Jenny: Unfortunately many of the victims are also in cyberspace, so they're still getting rid of their hatred onto real people. And I wonder how many of their friends and relatives know about the hatred they're secretly spewing out?
ReplyDeleteTammy: Oh, you don't gush at all, I know people who really do gush and it's very different! So true that this outpouring of hatred is like an unstoppable train roaring down the tracks. How on earth do we put the brake on?
And I do agree, the simplest religion and the simplest philosophy is kindness. Just being kind to other vulnerable, fragile human beings is the best thing we can do.