me_irl

12 step process

Step 1: Write a 3-line paragraph summing up why you think something is wrong

Step 2: Realize that part of your statement might be incorrect or biased, and search the topic

Step 3: Find out that you're technically correct and mostly correct, but there's nuance that will end up in an argument.

Step 4: Add 6 more sentences to the paragraph.

Step 5: Realize that there are multiple complete thoughts in the paragraph, split it into 3 separate paragraphs. Add some detail you were avoiding for brevity.

Step 6: Reread what you just wrote and imagine what someone is likely to come-at you with and try to defuse it before it happens.

Step 7: Realize that one of the statements you used might be incorrectly used, search that idiom and change it for clarity.

Step 8: Preview

Step 9: Post

Step 10: walk away

Step 11: check back in 5 minutes later, reread it and realize you have an awful error and something is vague. edit it and mark the edit with an *

Step 12: wait for comments, walk away

step 13: come back a hour later, 2 upvotes and one downvote, reread it, compare it to previous posts, reread your previous posts. decide you don't care for the tone and honestly don't even really care for the subject.

step 12: delete

Sometimes I just delete it, sometimes I go ahead and post it and hope nobody responds.

deletes his own comment without posting it after realizing he was wrong after defending what he now no longer believes in, for seven paragraphs

Sometimes multiple times in a row.
Sometimes on the same post.

I am never spending 20 minutes on any comment ever.

Happens on this platform too

I've written paragraphs and paragraphs about how calling someone stupid is not ad hominem. I've gone 20 comments into a thread trying to explain how analogies work. I'm currently in several arguments about the fact that water is, indeed, wet.

Yep. Me sometimes. Like you know the answer. It's simple and logical. The other person is obviously wrong and defending their position badly... But then you realise it's stupid to try and waste your time on a subject you don't even care about, to a person who cannot be educated.

Someone gave some advice on a forum or a blog or something a long time ago that really stuck with me and completely altered my outlook about social media and interacting with people via the internet in general:

Before you hit "send", ask yourself whether this is for your benefit, or that of those who will see it.

I basically stopped using socials after that, because I seldom thought of anything that followed this rule, and my feed was so full of garbage from people who also didn't, but saw fit to post it anyway. The internet has given society an ego masturbation problem.

Hello ADHDers! It really is a health management skill to catch yourself and pull away. The worst is when you do care about the topic and you know you're mismanaging your time, it doesn't actually matter, but you can't not "finish it so at least it's out there"

I've wasted SO MANY hours arguing with stupid people on reddit....

I do this, and I have a "graveyard log" file where I paste my discarded posts and replies.