Your Dutch Uncle

[Truth Detector]

No doubt most people can note the tone and demeanor of your posts fits exactly what I pointed out. Sad.

I notice that you missed the laughing emoticon as well. Sad that you don't want to have an adult like conversation, but instead, jump to conclusions, make moronic assertions and act like a pompous douchebag.

You're backslapping with two of the biggest thread trolling douchebags on the forum dude. I doubt that you can buy a clue at this point.

Do you vote Democrat? Are you a registered Democrat? Did you vote for Obama? Did you vote for Hillary? Anyone but Trump?

[Doc Dutch]

I notice that you missed the laughing emoticon as well. Sad that you don't want to have an adult like conversation, but instead, jump to conclusions, make moronic assertions and act like a pompous douchebag.

You're backslapping with two of the biggest thread trolling douchebags on the forum dude. I doubt that you can buy a clue at this point.

Do you vote Democrat? Are you a registered Democrat? Did you vote for Obama? Did you vote for Hillary? Anyone but Trump?

Why do you assume I missed your emoticon? I'm content to let anyone who cares to read these posts make their own decision about your veracity, intelligence and maturity versus my own.

No, despite your ravings I'm not a Democrat and haven't voted for Clinton or Obama nor do I plan to vote Democrat. The facts that you are dropping to your knees sucking off whatever Trump spews and I believe our nation can do better doesn't make me a Left Winger.

The fact you are jealous of those who have a calm, rational discussion while all you have are angry, name-calling rants confirms everything I posted previously.

[USFREEDOM911]

"Troll" is a common word, common "personality", but I'm interested in something deeper: What is a troll? Why troll? What type of personality does it take to "troll"?

Although I haven't done a formal study, there are archival studies such as this one: https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...91886917304270
Highlights
• Trolling is an online antisocial behaviour with negative psychological outcomes.

• Current study predicted trolling perpetration from gender and personality.

• Trolls more likely to be male with high levels of trait psychopathy and sadism

• Trolls have lower affective empathy, and psychopathy moderates cognitive empathy.

• Results have implications for establishing education and prevention programs.

Normal adult human beings may not be able to explain these traits but they can certainly recognize them.

Does that include those who hide behind socks??

[Phantasmal]

Yes, I've been on a few days, made several posts already but recently wrote much of what is posted below and thought it was appropriate to edit a bit and put it here so y'all know where I was coming from.

Not bragging, but my Bachelor degree was in Behavioral Psychology, late 1970s. Although mine was a military aviation career, I always maintained an interest in that field of study. Yes, I was able to apply it in my career and life, but I never did actual work (research) in the field.

I've been online since 1986 when there were BBS's using 300 baud modems...you could actually see the words type across the screen as the other person responded. In those days we'd meet once a quarter, drink beer and share software on 5.25" discs, later 3.5" discs. I wasn't a member of political forums until around 2008. Since then, and getting to the point, I've noticed that there seems to be more mentally ill people online than in real life (IRL).

In some ways I think it might not be mental illness but an example of "a drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts". The mask of anonymity given by online forums allows people to say their true thoughts without fear of recrimination. That point aside, and I do believe it's the most common reason some people are bigoted, biased assholes regardless of political affiliation, my observations over the years tell me that there are, indeed, a higher number of truly mentally ill people online.

Here's my theory on why: anyone with access to the Internet can log on to a forum. People shut in behind locked doors of a private mental facility, retirement home or group home can access computers. Even if a person, and notice there's lot of elderly people online, is living with their adult child, due to health, they can't get out much and the Internet is their access to the world. Their primary access. Being in pain, they express that pain in posts to virtual others, "people" they think are as real as the ones they kill in video games or beat in Farmville, whatever.

Last point: people who are angry and/or hateful are often in pain. Most people are good. A happy person is often good. An unhappy person often is not good. These are generalities, so individuals vary, but it's not that hard to look at others on this forum and form a general opinion on their behavior. This isn't an excuse for these hateful people, but an attempt to understand them and put their behavior in perspective. Seriously: should we hate a person who is mentally deranged or just pity them, lock them up and move on?

I pity them, I would hate to be that insecure and lonely.

[Doc Dutch]

Does that include those who hide behind socks??

That would make sense to me but I haven't seen any studies on it.

Off hand, I think a person who hides behind socks is a coward. Odd, and a bit nutty too, since all of us are using anonymous usernames to begin with so why would having a second anonymous username do anything but be an example of virtual masturbation; a person jerking themselves off online.

What are your thoughts about people who use sock puppets?

FWIW, this is the only forum I know that allows multiple usernames. IMO, it's a waste of time and effort to run two accounts on one forum. I'm busy enough having one username on two forums.

[USFREEDOM911]

The facts that you are dropping to your knees sucking off whatever Trump spews...

The fact you are jealous of those who have a calm, rational discussion while all you have are angry, name-calling rants confirms everything I posted previously.

So much irony.

[Doc Dutch]

I pity them, I would hate to be that insecure and lonely.

Agreed on all points. It's not an existence I'd prefer. Still, while each of us can't stop aging, we can change our attitudes. Pastor Charles R. Swindoll wrote one of my favorite words of wisdom:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.”

Obviously those who choose anger, or worse, hatred toward others are making a terrible choice....but it's possible they aren't choosing. It's possible they are simply mentally ill for whatever reason. Paranoid people live in fear and fear can cause the "Fight or Flight" syndrome to kick in. Those who flee are just gone, but those who "fight" will often react with anger toward others even though their real problem is fear.

[Doc Dutch]

So much irony.

Why do you think that's ironic? Why are you refusing to answer my question about socks or comment on your own question about socks?

If you don't want to have an honest, adult conversation, that's your choice. If all you want to do is throw spitballs, that's fine too but don't forget that others can see your posts and mine. They too have a choice.

[USFREEDOM911]

That would make sense to me but I haven't seen any studies on it.

Off hand, I think a person who hides behind socks is a coward. Odd, and a bit nutty too, since all of us are using anonymous usernames to begin with so why would having a second anonymous username do anything but be an example of virtual masturbation; a person jerking themselves off online.

What are your thoughts about people who use sock puppets?

FWIW, this is the only forum I know that allows multiple usernames. IMO, it's a waste of time and effort to run two accounts on one forum. I'm busy enough having one username on two forums.

Except for the occasional Werewolf game, I believe that those who hide behind socks on a usual basis do so; because that way they can say things that they normally wouldn't, all in an effort to try and protect the persona they've created,

[USFREEDOM911]

Why do you think that's ironic? Why are you refusing to answer my question about socks or comment on your own question about socks?

If you don't want to have an honest, adult conversation, that's your choice. If all you want to do is throw spitballs, that's fine too but don't forget that others can see your posts and mine. They too have a choice.

I did answer it.

Is 6 minutes to long for you to wait or do you feel so entitled, that I should only read your posts and ignore reading or responding to anyone else??

[AProudLefty]

I haven't been to many 'Forums', but here at JPP it seems like the 'mentality' is more in line with 'Sport Teams'. You pick a side, then root for that side no matter what.
I've labeled it 'Red Team/Blue Team'.

Red Team watches Fox and parrots the talking points.
Blue Team watches CNN and does the same.

Once in a while you can find people that will actually discuss an Issue, ... but not usually.

It's rare to find an intelligent conservative and/or Trump supporter here.

[AProudLefty]

Really? Why do you say that? Let's discuss this in an adult like manner and test your psychological theories? I am betting I can have you triggered in four or five posts by exposing your glaring hypocrisy.

GO!

And yet here you are.

[Doc Dutch]

Except for the occasional Werewolf game, I believe that those who hide behind socks on a usual basis do so; because that way they can say things that they normally wouldn't, all in an effort to try and protect the persona they've created,

I don't understand the Werewolf instance even though I Googled it. Again, it seems silly to me for someone hiding behind an anonymous username to have a second anonymous username. Perhaps they should get out more if a virtual, anonymous persona is so important to them that they feel the need to protect it.

I did answer it.

Is 6 minutes to long for you to wait or do you feel so entitled, that I should only read your posts and ignore reading or responding to anyone else??

Not feeling entitled at all. Just wondering why you ignored the question by posting a response ignoring it several minutes after I asked why you ignored it.

[Doc Dutch]

And yet here you are.

Agreed. Based on his posts and oversize signature (compensating?) I strongly suspect Truth Detector is more bullshit than detector. Again, probably because this forum is all he has for entertainment and he's angry about life in general.

[USFREEDOM911]

I don't understand the Werewolf instance even though I Googled it. Again, it seems silly to me for someone hiding behind an anonymous username to have a second anonymous username. Perhaps they should get out more if a virtual, anonymous persona is so important to them that they feel the need to protect it.

Not feeling entitled at all. Just wondering why you ignored the question by posting a response ignoring it several minutes after I asked why you ignored it.

Why did you ignore my post for 10 WHOLE MINUTES, before responding, while you expected an answer within 6 minutes??

Werewolf is a game we've played several times on this board; but not for a while.