Internet trolls are psychopaths and sadists, psychologists claim

Gryphon66
Question: How do we distinguish a commenter with a passionate and diametrically opposing view to the "original poster" from a Troll?

Follow-up question: Should only posts of "agreement" be allowed? Doesn't a discussion then become merely an "amen corner"?

To me its in "Mannerisms". You can disagree that Aliens are real, here is a example. I do not believe aliens are real. I do not say, anyone who believes in aliens should have their head examined for fruity disease. Its not what you say, but how you say it.

All Seeing Eye

Gryphon66
Question: How do we distinguish a commenter with a passionate and diametrically opposing view to the "original poster" from a Troll?

Follow-up question: Should only posts of "agreement" be allowed? Doesn't a discussion then become merely an "amen corner"?

To me its in "Mannerisms". You can disagree that Aliens are real, here is a example. I do not believe aliens are real. I do not say, anyone who believes in aliens should have their head examined for fruity disease. Its not what you say, but how you say it.

You know, there used to be a clear cultural standard for "courtesy" that explained how to interact with each other. Today, I think we can all concur, that concept is probably gone forever.

When I think of a "troll" I think of someone who is making no counter-point, is merely disputing what someone else says, continually inverts or restates what others claim, and accuse (often inaccurately) of "strawman-begging the question-ad hominem" etc. MERELY to divert the discussion.

The important part of that definition is "making no counter-point" because as we all know, all of us can get passionate, all of us consider ourselves at least "bush-league" debaters, and all of us, from time to time, will play forensic dirty pool.

Your mileage may vary.

tetra50
reply to post by WonderBoi

 

Just LOL. Really.

First, ATS??? Not trying to be nasty or anything, but this is Troll Heaven, really, isn't it? I know that won't go over too well, but it's seems pretty right on the mark. Just research the foundation of the website, for starters. It's like commercial fishing, for God's sake, in the internet ocean…..

Second: As to your title and conclusion, about the psychology of such…..
well, nothing like the broad brush stroke being applied, is there? Sort of like saying jaywalkers are all anarchists….
T50

This.... so good. Well said!

Read this question, come up with an answer and then scroll down to the bottom for the result.

This is not a trick question. It is as it reads. No one I know has gotten it right. Few people do.

A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy
was amazing. She believed him to be her dream guy so much that she fell in love with him right there, but never
asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister.




Question: What is her motive for killing her sister?









[Give this some thought before you answer, see answer below].





























































Answer:

She was hoping the guy would appear at the funeral again.


If you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath.
This was a test by a famous American Psychologist used to determine if one has the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers
took part in the test and answered the question correctly. If you didn't answer the question correctly, good for you.

I didn't quote anyone because I didn't want anyone to think I was a troll. But contrary to a few posts, I don't think trolls are dumb at all. Quite the opposite. They are masters of manipulation, shaming and bending the truth to suit their needs. In a way, they are crying out for help. Until they get it though, its hell to pay for those of us afflicted by them. For some of you, this isn't your first rodeo and have mastered calling out the trolls. But so many trolls crawl the gray lines and seem to fall into the obscurity of darkness when needed. They are very creepy people.

WonderBoi
reply to post by DarksideOz

 

I don't think it has to do with how "stupid" one is. Trolls do what they do, for pleasure or for $$$.

Troll behaviour cannot be justified by a quest for money. And if it's just for pleasure, then it is nothing but stupid behaviour. If it didn't effect other people then it would be harmless, but as soon as other people become a target for this behaviour, then it is unjustifiable, for pleasure or for financial gain. If its to make money, then I can only assume that they are being payed by someone else to promote a certain line or agenda. That is not trolling, that is being a shill.

One only has to look around the world we all live in to see that the majority of people breeding are actually stupid. I know no one likes to admit that they might be stupid, but stupidity doesn't come down to ones personal opinion, stupidity is based on ones personal actions. And the actions of a troll are nothing but stupidity, and immaturity. Then if you look even deeper, you'll find that the majority of time stupid people are a direct result of stupid parents, or at the very least, incompetent parents. But these days, incompetence and stupidity tend to feed off each other.

Just look at how many people complain about the state of the world and how "over-populated" it is, while then adding to the "over-population", and then complain even more about the state of the world. Stupid people who have children never seem to think that they are stupid. And if the majority of people breeding weren't stupid, then why are education marks across the board getting lower and lower ?

While we keep sugar coating the problem, the problem will get a lot worse before it gets any better. And I don't claim to not be stupid, in fact I can probably admit that I am stupid, but I am still smart enough to know that I cannot give a child the very best chance in life, therefore I do not bring a child into the world, regardless of my apparent "right" to do so. And I am sure that there are many good parents who put their child's needs before their own. But going by the world I live in, and the things I see and hear, those parents are the minority and a dying breed.

reply to post by Gryphon66
I know exactly what you are saying, I have had to do battle with many of this mindset. Your correct, no counter point, deflection from the subject, and a very rude insult. Their only intent is to shut down transference of ideas, and it would seem, especially ones that challenge the status Que.

look at the subjects they continually attack, and from that, you can determine their objective.

Sure, you have misguided government servants who are following directives to conceal classified materials. But then you have subject matter that is not in that "realm" that are fought over with even more venom.

These are not run of the mill Satanists, or at least the Holly Wood creation, there is a deeper secret they attempt to hide.

The conclusions that are coming out from this study are too generalised. Sure, there is a connection between sadistic behaviour and trolling, but I'd imagine sadism forms a part of the definition of trolling anyway. The study doesn't really take into account the situational factors that influence this type of behaviour.

It's pretty accepted among psychology that the majority of people are capable of acts that may be considered evil or socially unacceptable if they are exposed to certain situations. Zimbardo (Stamford Prison Experiment) is the main advocate of this and one his ideas is that people often point to 'dispositional' factors when trying to explain behaviour, i.e. that people are evil because of who they are, or that abuse may happen in an organisation because of 'bad apples'. The Stamford Experiment and others have strongly suggested that this isn't the case and I'd be more inclined to consider the psychological forces that can influence people to become more disinhibited online.

Some main ideas are mentioned in the video, like dehumanisation and anonymity, both apparent in explanations of evil acts throughout history (Nazi Germany is a clear example), but I don't think the video mentions de-individuation - whereby disninhibited behaviour develops from the loss of a person's identity or social awareness.

This is apparent offline as well in settings such as football games where abuse is hurled at players and referees, however online I think it plays a major role, where people are in a situation where they can be anonymous, they are free to express themselves without the fear of being identified and therefore can act in a way that is completely against their usual personality, almost an anarchic state of mind.

This thread is relevant to my interests.

Somewhat related and I have a question for the thread: How many of you have experienced teh feels when someone on the internet called you the Troll?

There is someone on ATS who likes to troll me by calling me a troll. His world record so far is calling me a troll 8 times in a single post. In red. Like this Troll.

I often use this graphic


to deal with the cannon fodder trolls. You know the extremist Apollo Believers and terrorist Apollo Defenders. The Science Trolls on ATS should also keep it handy because I have seen an awful lot of "credible posters" indulge in every one of these propaganda techniques. All of them.

Shhhhhhhh ! Don't anyone tell the Canadian science-guys that "trolls" aren't real (well except if they come from a place that has it's own real-housewives show!) Also, he probably didn't take into account how average, every day life can be so BORING that people lose they're minds each day, maybe just for a little bit. Also, whatever happened to "words can't hurt you"? (Well, actually, now that I think of it, they can! - if you get kicked off ATS for a while, and can't blow off some steam, that counts as hurt I guess).
Finally, they also might be those people who never visit "YouTube" just for a laugh! but to see the "tragedy" of human existence! to me, burger king having a burger called the "big king" with patties that are thinner than a pop-tart, it's the very depth of tragedy. also, my grandkids LAUGH at what they call "Spicy Chicken" ! Sorry. left one thing out. I'm REALLY UGLY. when someone calls me a troll, I want to hug them and buy them a big king !

There have been more than a couple times I had thought a poster was trolling. As it turned out they were just really dumb and had no clue what they were talking about.

reply to post by WonderBoi


Well I admit I'm a dull axe when it comes to writing full stop. My spelling is atrocious and I word my thoughts horribly. I have no idea how to operate ats to my advantage and it just sux.

I do have passion and a keen sense for seeing bulls#!T getting flung around.

The Geo Engineering forum is a good example of you OP.

I find it very difficult to attach internet 'troll' to any kind of psychopathology that I have encountered in criminal cases. Just because someone has social disorders such as Internet addiction disorder (IAD) or Multi User Dungeon disorder (MUDD) or even Paranoid personality disorder in internet rooms or forums hardly qualifies them for a psychological disease. Obviously, I am not qualified to make such a diagnosis, however neurotic behavior and the need for attention seldom lead to a full blown psychosis.

My experience has been, in most cases, the more divulged in psychosis a person is, the better they are at covering it up.

Case in point-Everyone knew that from a young age there was something very, very wrong with Jeffery Dalmer. However, the person who knew and understood this better than anyone else was of course, Dalmer himself. That way he was able to rationalize his own behavior and put forth just enough normality to continue his drift into a fantasy driven existence.

To say that someone who likes to get attention by being abrasive or non conformist in internet forums is mental ill is a huge stretch.

Again, I'm no psychologist, this is just what I have learned from personal experience.

reply to post by SayonaraJupiter


That hits home, do you mind if I use that image?

InTheLight
reply to post by SayonaraJupiter

 

That hits home, do you mind if I use that image?

That image is fair game, it is in the public domain. archive.org...

I took a screenshot of this old US gov propaganda film from 1949. Definitely go watch this old video. I added the ATS logo in the middle. If you have experience with graphic programs you could make a nicer version of it. I'd encourage you to make your own version of it so that nobody accuses *you* of being *my* sock puppet!!! LOL!!

A lot of confused trolls use these techniques because they are not aware they are spreading pure propaganda. Trolls will continue to use these techniques even after you call them out on it using this 60+ year old training film for high schools.

Super trolls are soooo good at what they do and can use 6 or 7 techniques in a single post. and get about 50 stars for doing it. Watch out for those!

Define troll. I have been accused of "trolling" ,many many times for just stating an opinion that "goes against the grain" of the "normal sheeple" of whatever forum I was on at the time. Or not agreeing with mods or admin with something. Or calling out people for posting straight up propaganda and lies. Etc etc.

if they are not paid they might be one of the 30 +% of under 35s living at home in the states bored and frustrated by life it is the only thing i can think off that would make someone come on night after night to argue the same thing

looking through the 9-11 forums and moon threads you will see the usual suspects appear time after time why do they care so much i think to myself if you met someone down the bar you would not harass them like they do online .

either paid or frustrated

reply to post by WonderBoi


YOU are a sadist psychopath !

Tidnabnilims
reply to post by WonderBoi

 

YOU are a sadist psychopath !

edit on 23-2-2014 by Tidnabnilims because: Do you see what I did thar ?

.

Me too!

The only sane ones are the contrail people. The rest of us are mad as hell.

Most mad men are genius compared to a rational, submissive man.

I'm pretty sure this thread is aimed at your detractors here on ATS Wonderboi.

Basically you're saying that the members who argue with you and dispute your many claims on your numerous threads are psychopaths.

You also are attempting to link the definition of "troll" in the OP with your concept of "paid government agent".

You throw the accusation of "gov shill" around so much these days that it seems like a version of trolling to me.