lookin's still lookin

[TampaYankee]

Unfortunately, lookin's earnest question regarding the 'payoff' for antognistic posters was caught up in another thread that veered out of bounds. It is a worthy question and I have moved it here for those who wish to offer input on the question. This is NOT a restart of the other thread, only a fresh start for lookin's question. Please keep this thread focused on lookin's general question. Do not veer back to the main topic of the other thread else individual posts will be deleted. Sly attempts to intertwine the present and old topics will be denied. We will delete the good with the bad.

I expect this will run its course pretty quickly, and the thread will be locked but, before it is, I have a somewhat broader question that's been rattling around in my head for a couple of years and I can't seem to come up with a good answer:

What's the payoff for someone who sets out to trash other people?

I know the standard quick responses: He's an *******, He was dropped on his *** as a child, He doesn't have any ****, etc. Those answers sound OK at first blush, but they don't really give me the insight I'm trying to get as to the why. And I'm not asking the question with one specific person in mind, because I've seen this kind of activity arise more than once on anonymous message centers.

I know it can be safe to trash others when the trasher is anonymous, but the fact that it's safe doesn't really tell me about the why behind the behavior.

And I'm not talking about the occasional clever putdown. Lots of people get a kick out of being really clever and, if it's at the expense of someone else, so be it. But I'm talking about someone who sets up a whole screen persona for the purpose of embarrassing or belittling or making fun of other people, and always operates that way.

What I'm trying to figure out is what the act of trashing others actually does for the trasher. What's the payoff? If I were to trash someone, I can't think of any particular benefit it would bring to me. Maybe if I thought of some especially clever turn of phrase, I'd burst my buttons for a minute or two. But then I'd be left with the feeling that I've hurt someone who never did anything to me, and I wouldn't feel particularly good about myself. There wouldn't be any net benefit from doing it, at least that I've been able to figure out yet. And I sure wouldn't keep doing it unless there were some kind of payoff.

I believe that for someone to keep doing it, and not just to one particular person for a particular reason, but to many people over a prolonged period of time, there must be some kind of payoff, or he wouldn't keep doing it.

And, if someone does feel good about trashing others, what is he feeling good about? I don't recall ever coming across anyone who admitted to being proud or fulfilled or happy or anything else, just because he continually trashed other people.

So what do you good folks think the payoff is? What does the trasher get that he wouldn't get otherwise?

Have any of you ever personally known someone who set out to deliberately trash other people? What benefit do you think he got back in return?

I'm not trying to judge this kind of behavior, and certainly not until I understand what's behind it. Anyone able to shed some light while the thread is still open? Thanks in advance.

[Guest CharliePS]

Unfortunately, lookin's earnest question regarding the 'payoff' for antognistic posters was caught up in another thread that veered out of bounds. It is a worthy question and I have moved it here for those who wish to offer input on the question. This is NOT a restart of the other thread, only a fresh start for lookin's question. Please keep this thread focused on lookin's general question. Do not veer back to the main topic of the other thread else individual posts will be deleted. Sly attempts to intertwine the present and old topics will be denied. We will delete the good with the bad.

What is the payoff for the serial killer? In some cases it seems to be a sexual thrill, but in other cases--like the guy in the Texas tower, or the shooters in MD/VA several years ago--that doesn't seem to be the answer? Is it the thrill of exercising power over others without fear of payback? The anonymous poster must get some kind of pleasure from his act and the kind of toothless response it gets, but I don't think you can understand it unless you can get a similar payoff from such behavior. Since you and I don't, I'm afraid it's useless to expect a rational answer from the perpetrator.

[Guest Matrix]

Please keep this thread focused on lookin's general question. Do not veer back to the main topic of the other thread else individual posts will be deleted. Sly attempts to intertwine the present and old topics will be denied. We will delete the good with the bad.

I would have liked to have posted in this thread, but under these conditions and with the fear that OMFG I just might "veer" off someone else's poorly defined subjective track and risk being punished with a post deletion or demerit, I'll pass.

Very sad to see this type of voiced moderation before the fact.

Gives me the Hebie-Gebies!

[Lucky]

I would have liked to have posted in this thread, but under these conditions and with the fear that OMFG I just might "veer" off someone else's poorly defined subjective track and risk being punished with a post deletion or demerit, I'll pass.

Very sad to see this type of voiced moderation before the fact.

Gives me the Hebie-Gebies!

Please call the medics! Matrix has the heebie-jeebies that he might not not get the fun he was hoping for when Rico twists his knife. Que lastima. A voice of moderation before the fact must really unnerve him.

[Guest Matrix]

Please call the medics! Matrix has the heebie-jeebies that he might not not get the fun he was hoping for when Rico twists his knife. Que lastima. A voice of moderation before the fact must really unnerve him.

Fuck-you, Lucky.

[Lucky]

Fuck-you, Lucky.

Sometimes the truth hurts. I love to get fucked, but, in this case, you would not be an acceptable candidate. There is nothing I can say or do that will reduce your unexplained animosity towards me, so why try?

[caeron]

I always view it as "bitch by proxy".

Someone has issues in their real life, so they work it out by kicking people online and gaining a bit of the power they don't have to deal with their real world antagonists. It is stupid and petty, but it seems to help them feel better about themselves.

[lookin]

So, fellahs, I love a good game of paintball as much as the next guy. But it would be really embarrassing to see this thread closed down, especially since TY was kind enough to open it up for some additional thoughts on a question I asked in another thread that also got closed down.

Maybe there's something about the subject matter itself that's just too hot for civil discourse, so I think I'd better withdraw the question. I do appreciate the answers I got so far, and they've given me lots to think about over the evening bowl. I think enlightenment is close at hand.

If anyone feels like sending a PM with any additional thoughts, I'd be much obliged.

PS: Just saw Caeron's response, and it's an idea that has occurred to me as well. Added to Charlie's thought that the folks who do it aren't likely to share - or maybe even know - why they do it helps me understand why figuring this out has been so hard.

Thanks again, guys!

[TampaYankee]

Please call the medics! Matrix has the heebie-jeebies that he might not not get the fun he was hoping for when Rico twists his knife. Que lastima. A voice of moderation before the fact must really unnerve him.

Lucky,

I'm calling you on this. You know you are waving a match over an open gas can, inviting a retaliatory attack. Then you get pissed off when you get pissed on, after asking for it. Give Matrix a wide berth as we know your opinion already. So does he. This is how shit gets started and it is completely unnecessary as it adds nil to the discussion.

[TampaYankee]

Sometimes the truth hurts. I love to get fucked, but, in this case, you would not be an acceptable candidate. There is nothing I can say or do that will reduce your unexplained animosity towards me, so why try?

This should be your final word in the back and forth. You two having nothing contructive to discuss.

[Lucky]

This should be your final word in the back and forth. You two having nothing contructive to discuss.

I am more than happy to have the battle with Matrix drawn to a conclusion.

[JKane]

I've wondered myself, especially when someone sets up a whole blog or forum for the main purpose of attacking somebody they know only through another blog or forum...

I suppose arguments could be made that people like Daddy or BN had it coming, and since the existing forum didn't allow any critique on certain sacred topics... (and the plagiarism expose was brilliant), but once past the one or two insightful posts who really wants to read pages of bile and invective? Or really anything on somebody like Deej?

If the author doesn't have better things to do with their own time I certainly have better to do with mine!