I'm on this Discord where people kind of talk about books and stuff like that. It's some writers and some readers and we often share our thoughts about stuff we've read etc.

A question came up that was basically: "What's everyone reading this weekend?" and people were just typing titles in and saying what they liked and were enjoying that kind of thing.

I said I was reading this epic comic called "Die" by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans and it was such an incredible experience so far.

1/

And someone was like: "Agree to disagree ..."

This statement always kind of confuses me for a bunch of reasons but mainly because it makes so many assumptions that only self centering people seem to be capable of imagining.

2/

Agree to disagree.
What does that mean?

Just because I express my opinion of something doesn't mean I am asking you to agree. I'm not even asking any question for you to agree or disagree with. I'm just stating my own thoughts, my own opinion, from my own perspective.

There is nothing to agree or disagree with because I'm not asking for your thoughts. You don't even exist in the scenario where I am expressing my thoughts ... you aren't involved.

Why are you centering yourself?

3/

If I said ... hey I like this comic, don't you all think it's amazing? I could understand ... that's a question ... a kind of assertion and I'm asking whether you agree with it or not.

But if I'm just saying ... I am enjoying reading this comic, it's an amazing experience. Why do you have to tell me you disagree?

Where is the question? Where is the moment where I ever inquired what you thought about anything?

Why is a random opinion automatically a "disagreement" when it doesn't involve you?

This is the stuff I mean when I say that everyone (especially white males) just want to fight with everyone. I think people are online, on social media because it's the easiest and fastest way to find someone to fight with. I think if they can't find some way of making something about them offline (probably because they don't engage with normal people) they will find any opportunity to assert themselves and insert themselves into things just to cause problems. They get off on it.

And here's how I know that's the case in this Discord group.

Because I didn't respond AT ALL to the person's comment. A whole bunch of people were talking all at once chatting back and forth and I just let the person's response scroll by as if I hadn't seen it. And like clockwork the person continues on, without being prompted, "I'm not a fan of Kieron Gillen."

Did I ask you if you were? Like ... why are you continuing down this path? What is it you hope to accomplish? What's it all for?

Sorry not sorry to say this ... but people like this are mentally ill and I really wish they'd get the help they need instead of sitting online trying to bait people, hurt people, antagonize people ... just to find a way of expressing their anger or whatever feelings they don't know what to do with. Everyone is fucking nuts ...

And the weird thing is ... such people will say ... "I'm just trying to have a conversation ..."

How is that a conversation?

Did I ask you for your opinion? Did I say I wanted to have a conversation about this topic?

Why do such people think arguing is the same as conversation?

Why do people think all conversations have to be confrontations or battles of opinion?

Why do people want to START confrontational dialogues when no one asked them to?

How is this healthy behavior?

Why is everyone so fucking unstable and unwell and wanting to spread their madness all over the place?

Or maybe it's me ...
Maybe I'm the one with the problem.

Maybe I'm the abnormal one that doesn't think everything has to be my business.

Maybe I'm the abnormal one that doesn't feel the need to shit on something someone likes.

Maybe I'm the one who is messed up because I don't delight in fighting over absolutely nothing with strangers.

Maybe I'm the weird one.

I could accept that actually.
I've always been different.
I've always done things differently.
People have always said I was strange or a downer or annoying because I didn't see the logic in a lot of stuff they were doing and saying.
Maybe I'm the one who is wrong.
Maybe everything really is a fight about who is right and who is wrong. Maybe every conversation is just an argument in disguise. Maybe every argument is just porn for really messed up people and that's perfectly acceptable somehow.

I don't know why I have to say this but ...

You don't have to agree with anyone. You don't have to think ANYTHING about what someone else says or likes or expresses. It doesn't have to be any of your business. You don't have to share your negative thoughts simply because someone shares positive ones. You don't have to play that role in everyone's life. You don't have to be that person. You could just ignore it. You could just mind your business. You could just shut the fuck up.

My favorite part of that one-sided exchange was they typed: "I'm not a fan of Kieron Gillen."

Yeah ok so? So anytime anyone mentions Kieron Gillen you feel the need to start transforming into some outspoken, negative asshole even though no one asked you for your opinion? You're so triggered by someone liking an author you hate that you just can't help yourself and then you say "it's just conversation ..."

But it's not.
It's an attack.
It's an attack because you're unwell.

You know what I say when I want to have a conversation with someone? I ask questions ...

"What's the comic about? What do you like best about it? Do you read a lot of stuff by that person? What do you recommend?"

Questions. Questions that express an interest in that person. Questions that express an interest in that person's joy. Questions that express an interest in that person's passion.

Conversations involve PEOPLE not just TOPICS. If you wanna TALK to someone, ask them about themselves.

Why does everything have to be ...

"Why do you like something that I hate? What's wrong with you? Let's fight about it."

Why is everyone so fucked up and angry and entitled as all hell?

Just leave people alone. Be miserable and angry by yourself.