- USE OF SARCASM --

I'll sometimes use sarcasm as a tool to highlight faults in something said. I don't ever do this to ridicule or troll.

Feel free to be sarcastic (or rude) back if it helps us proceed with the discussion.

- OBJECTIONABLE OPINIONS --

If I say something extremely objectionable it's likely because I'm trying to invoke an emotional reaction from you.

For example, it's hard for me to present a logical argument for why I believe policing hate speech to be so deeply wrong that it will generate the desired emotional response. However, if I instead say, "the UK isn't doing enough to arrest kids for hate speech on XBox live" you might feel angry, and that anger is what I'm trying to communicate.

I find making people aware of their emotions is often more productive than presenting a forgettable logical argument for something as agreeable as say, free speech. An emotional response to an objectionable statement tells you everything you need to know about what your positive position should be and is far more likely to stick with you at the cost of my social creditably.

If you believe this ultimately unproductive then please feel free to downvote these comments – I go back on forth on whether I should do this.

- EMPATHY --

I have hyper-empathy. Probably... Mean comments seem to hurt me and stick with me. That's not to say you shouldn't express strong negative feelings towards me, but if you do please only do so if you feel it's justified.

Name calling and petty insults are fine, it's the stuff that cuts deeper and makes me doubt whether my existence is a net-positive that I find difficult to overlook.

I am trying to be a good person. I worry that I'm not.