Sometimes I wonder if I should be meaner.
I'm quite mean in my head, often. I think very mean things about others, but I catch myself and correct my thoughts. I say things like "that person is an idiot" (I often used more intense words) but then correct myself to thinking "they probably just misunderstood something." That sort of things. "That person is an asshole" to "that person might be having a bad day."
I feel like that's the right thing to do. There's really no reason to believe that people are bad, there's nothing to gain in doing that and I'd argue there's actually much to lose. I'd argue, but I won't, as that's not the point of this post.
Continuing.
I wonder if it could be better to not do that as much. For example, sometimes people really are just idiotic assholes. Sometimes just idiots, sometimes just assholes, sometimes neither. However, couldn't it be correct to assume it, sometimes?
For example, I think the block button should be used. I'm a big proponent of blocking people. I've blocked people on Reddit, on Twitter, I think I've blocked people on Lemmy even, on TikTok, on YouTube (you can't actually block people, I don't think, but you can effectively remove them from sight), etc. I've blocked people wherever I've been and there have been people there. Discord, too. I do this because I don't think it is my job to suffer other people's idiocy and assholiness; it is not my responsibility to suffer others.
I feel that that might be a bit... I don't know. Extreme? But good. I'm curating my online experience, and there's certain strains of people that I just don't want to be a part of my life.
Can this be applied to other aspects of how I think about people? Instead of assuming goodness or neutrality, instead of presupposing something exogenous that is causing perturbing behaviours I just block them out. Even IRL, it's not my job to tolerate assholes and idiots. Ignoring people is rude, but maybe that's just the best way to go about things.