Halvorz's comment sums up something that I think my psyche has truly resisted believing for a long time, but which I've now finally, recently, disappointedly come to see is true.
Namely, many people -- maybe most -- get some small bit of fun/thrill out of being mean, particularly socially mean, and particularly as part of a group of others doing the same. Pile-ons exist for a reason, and the reason is not generally that the 2,000th person dunking on someone in the exact same fashion as the preceding 1,999 genuinely believes commentary of substance is being added by their own participation. They do it because it's enjoyable to them to do it. It's a primate part of humanity that hasn't disappeared. Likewise, when it becomes unacceptable to shit on certain groups, many people apparently turn their attention to immediately figuring out who the new subordinates it's acceptable to shit on are.
I'm trying to be less actively depressed by this realization, but honestly, I'm not there yet.
Halvorz's comment sums up something that I think my psyche has truly resisted believing for a long time, but which I've now finally, recently, disappointedly come to see is true.
Namely, many people -- maybe most -- get some small bit of fun/thrill out of being mean, particularly socially mean, and particularly as part of a group of others doing the same. Pile-ons exist for a reason, and the reason is not generally that the 2,000th person dunking on someone in the exact same fashion as the preceding 1,999 genuinely believes commentary of substance is being added by their own participation. They do it because it's enjoyable to them to do it. It's a primate part of humanity that hasn't disappeared. Likewise, when it becomes unacceptable to shit on certain groups, many people apparently turn their attention to immediately figuring out who the new subordinates it's acceptable to shit on are.
I'm trying to be less actively depressed by this realization, but honestly, I'm not there yet.
(Deleted & reposted, to correct typo.)
It's depressing how well the divide and conquer strategy works.
This really needed to be said. Thanks for saying it.