What drives people to be so hostile?

MrJim said:
The way it seems to me, is that the hostility and incivility you're talking about, occurs mostly when the subject is politics or social issues.

I think people are mostly civil about most other topics.
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But why is that?
US, like Australia allows for secret ballot and with some exceptions, everyone has the right to vote
Both are federations with the rights of each component of the federation mandated by laws.

Free speech allows us freedom to express opinions, so why the hostility towards people with opinions contrary to our own. I'm more than happy to hear alternate opinions and say why I may be opposed. I do not resort to name calling.

Me? Well, hardly ever.
 
Warrigal said:
But why is that?
US, like Australia allows for secret ballot and with some exceptions, everyone has the right to vote
Both are federations with the rights of each component of the federation mandated by laws.

Free speech allows us freedom to express opinions, so why the hostility towards people with opinions contrary to our own. I'm more than happy to hear alternate opinions and say why I may be opposed. I do not resort to name calling. We'', hardly ever.
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Because people from each side believe the other side is destroying their country and it pisses them off.
 
I usually don’t get frustrated or upset if people disagree as long as they understand my point of view and the point that I’m attempting to make.

In general I think people feel powerless and their extreme frustration combined with the anonymity of the internet turns them into a sort of Walter Mitty that allows them to vent.

The truth is, nothing we say on SF or any other internet platform does a thing to change the world or our place in it.
 
dusty said:
Kids will learn about suffering from the moment they are born. You comfort them until they are old enough to fall down and scrape their knee. When that happens you explain that they will see all kinds of painful things and feel physical pain off and on all through their lives. Teach the child how to deal with his scraped knee and the pain it causes; it won't heal the knee but it will show him that he can be strong and vunerable at the same time.
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Suffering an injury has nothing to do with telling a kid he got to suffer all of his life. Ladies suffer in childbirth then love those babies the rest of their lives. Suffering from mental B.S. is just control over them. It's a no brainer; BS is so alive an active everywhere in most all things. Its falling all over most all of us 24 / 7's its everywhere and in all things. Nothing but big mouths running all day long every day.
 
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Aunt Bea said:
I usually don’t get frustrated or upset if people disagree as long as they understand my point of view and the point that I’m attempting to make.

In general I think people feel powerless and their extreme frustration combined with the anonymity of the internet turns them into a sort of Walter Mitty that allows them to vent.

The truth is, nothing we say on SF or any other internet platform does a thing to change the world or our place in it.
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That is not actually true. There are lots of ways. Word of mouth is not gone, its amplified by speaking the truth. No politics! Haha. There are tons of Contradictory personalities there and also all the Conspiracy theories. To be announced in the future as totally CRAZY, its easy to observe, learn from and Scratch! Nothing new about Crooks and Gubernats'

If they just hadn't done what they most surely did. Don't call me Shirley!
 
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Some people seem to get off on conflict; they thrive on it. Those people are known as a-holes.

Personally, I've always tried to avoid conflict since I have an anxiety disorder and don't handle conflict very well. I do love a good debate, though, and when facts or reason contradict my opinion, I am not averse to changing my opinion. I don't generally form an opinion without first learning about the subject matter, so that doesn't happen very often, but it does on occasion.

I don't belong to any social groups so there's no chance of me being ostracized if my opinion differs from somebody else's. I've already been rejected from every group I've ever tried to join. But for a lot of people, if their politics or religious views differ from a group they belong to, that could mean the end of their social support network. For that reason, they have strong emotional connections to their opinions, and often, their opinions are based more on emotion than logic, reason, and facts.
 
Aunt Bea said:
“If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” - Joseph Goebbels
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But isn't that exactly what people are trying to push back against? The level of indoctrination exhibited here is truly breathtaking some days.

Just today I saw somebody castigating poor people for the temerity to have children. Not only was it shameless, she doubled down when called on her bullshit.
 
HermitHogan said:
Some people seem to get off on conflict; they thrive on it. Those people are known as a-holes.
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MrJim said:
Because people from each side believe the other side is destroying their country and it pisses them off.
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Both probably correct assumptions, but some blame must be attributed to the hostile and disrespectful ways that political parties attack each other rather than promote their own agendas for their merits and criticise their opponent's agendas for their perceived failings. In other words, more honesty when talking to the voters would go a long way.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I understand what you are saying and unfortunately lies are amplified too.

“If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” - Joseph Goebbels
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I have said that also, a lot. Liars are just wanting you to believe it.
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If you want good representation, choose honest people. But again they will sell out too most likely.
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I'm not going to point my middle finger at a bunch of crooks, you got your responsibilities. I am pretty sure most all of us knote that world id full of nothing but complete crooks, liars / etc. I see nothing in 2025 to change my beliefs.
 
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papa tiger said:
I have said that also, a lot. Liars are just wanting you to believe it.
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If you want good representation, choose honest people. But again they will sell out too most likely.
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I'm not going to point my middle finger at a bunch of crooks, you got your responsibilities. I am pretty sure most all of us knote that world id full of nothing but complete crooks, liars / etc. I see nothing in 2025 to change my beliefs.
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Sad that you have this view of humanity. My default position is trust unless I have reason to withhold it. I have come to learn that most people are trustworthy if you yourself are honest and trustworthy.

Call me Pollyanna if you will, you won't be the first, or the last, but optimism and belief in the goodness of others is a much better way to live as far as I am concerned.
 
I think most people will assume a defensive posture if they perceive something as an attack, and sometimes that can be amplified a bit if it's in a public setting, and they feel the need to save face. Most animals (Even a mouse) will fight if it feels cornered. A verbal assault can bring out the worst in people, even those with a fair degree of control.

The other half of the equation is how something is phrased. I think in many cases, a person can have a: "Hey, I'm just telling it like it is, so deal with it", attitude, and they really don't care what other people think of them, so being respectful isn't required. In short, diplomacy isn't in their wheelhouse.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I understand what you are saying and unfortunately lies are amplified too.

“If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” - Joseph Goebbels
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I hear this Goebbles quote thrown around a lot these days as if it's impossible for people to be responsible for what they believe. Are people really that malleable? The guy was a power-hungry psychopath. Why is he quoted like gospel? I think he was full of s**t. Yet there he is again.
 
I believe there are some things worth fighting for. Being "combative" is just a consequence of folks with opposite points of view on a divisive issue, such as abortion. It does not make them feel insecure or superior, it just shows the depth of their commitment to an idea.
 
Judycat said:
I hear this Goebbles quote thrown around a lot these days as if it's impossible for people to be responsible for what they believe. Are people really that malleable? The guy was a power-hungry psychopath. Why is he quoted like gospel? I think he was full of s**t. Yet there he is again.
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Is this the Joseph Goebbels who was the propaganda minister for the Nazi Third Reich?! Or just someone with the same name?
 
Gardenlover said:
Pick your topic, but the sad truth is no matter the topic, people with opposite views tend to become combative fairly easily.
I've often wondered why, is it insecurity or a superiority complex? Why do so many demand that others hold the same beliefs?
Why is it easier to hate your neighbor rather than love them?
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I think it's the anonymity provided by the internet.
 
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