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someone is wrong on the internet

Don’t you have something better to do with your time?

Look, this isn’t hard. I saw something that bugged me. You don’t have to agree with me that it’s a problem. In fact, it’s totally fine if you don’t. We’re all along the spectrum of human experience and I am comfortable with the fact that we’re on different wavelengths.

That said, since I’m not you and you’re not me, I’m entitled to my goddamn opinion.

This is the hardest part of discussions when it’s about feelings and reactions instead of facts. Everyone is informed by their own life experience, and that life experience is likely wildly different from yours. Unless their reaction is downright inhumane, you don’t get to tell someone that they’re wrong to feel the way they do. Well, unless you want to come across as a dismissive asshole who has his or her fingers firmly planted in ears whilst chanting lalalala, and then sure. Go wild.

If you don’t want to sound like a dismissive asshole, here’s an example of what you can say: “I don’t agree with you and I feel differently, but I see where you’re coming from.” It’s really not hard. Cut and paste that if you like, until you can type it with feeling. You don’t even have to give me credit. It’s something every reasonable and empathetic human being should be able to say.

Also? “You shouldn’t talk about this because children are starving in Africa” is also incredibly dismissive, for the record. And stupidly hypocritical, since apparently you don’t have anything better to do with your time either. Those poor kids.

This is me. Every night.

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