General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Though I have been a frequent poster here, I have only posted once in the past week and a half [View all]DFW
(54,365 posts)There IS plenty of nasty stuff. People piling on you for some perceived slight, or due to your responding to some post that was meant as bait to make you vulnerable to getting pounced upon. There are plenty of posts I just don't respond to for that very reason. There are a LOT of good people on here, but there are the inevitable lonely souls who need to take out their grievances with the world on posters they find on an internet board because there are no repercussions, or, if there are, they can just click them away. It is a fact that "Get a Life" is not enforceable in a court of law. If you know any German, or have a German-English dictionary, look up the word "streitsüchtig." Some people are literally that. I guess "chip on their shoulder" comes closest to a translation.
But don't think that's only here. I have met members of Congress that I was all ready to hate and they, much to my frustration, turned out to be nice people. Worse yet, I have met ones that I totally agreed with and admired, was all ready to have a great kumbayah session with, and they turned out to be assholes or phonies. You can't imagine how frustrating THAT is!! Luckily, that hasn't happened in quite a few years.
If it any consolation, figure the people who are systematically being mean to you--or anyone else, for that matter--are probably lonely, unhappy, and wish they could have a tenth of the emotional stability you have. When I run into that, I try to let it slide, or pull off a Jen Psaki move (she is the master, I am the lowly peon by comparison). Count me as one of those who will neither applaud nor say, "who cares?" I'm not here constantly, but I care. But I know, too: that and fifty cents............