Edit: My own solution: when it happens, get off the computer and pet the dog.
So let’s say I make a point on a post. I put forward my argument and I support it with evidence.
Now let’s say the first comment is from someone who disagrees with me, but seems to fundamentally misunderstand what I am saying, probably because they read the title of the post and immediately posted the first thing that came to mind.
But my fear, acquired from Reddit, is that people are going to read this guy’s totally inaccurate presentation of my argument and then every comment in the rest of the discussion will proceed as if that’s what I said.
And since, as we all know, fear leads to hate, my first instinct is just to berate this person for being a stupid moron.
This is a bad strategy. Not only is probably against Lemmy rules, it automatically makes me the bad guy.
So: question: how do I handle this person without tediously restating my position again, which is extremely irritating because I already wrote it once and they didn’t read it the first time. What I want is to say something that quickly quarantines the misreading comment in people’s minds so the misreading doesn’t infect the entire thread.
Move on with your life who gives a fuck
BUT SOMEONE IS WRONG ON THE INTERNET!!!
:)
Youre missing the point
Make one clarifying point comment and then move on.
An example of how to do it:
You: EVs are better for the environment
Comment: Why are you saying that China should rule the world?
You: I’m saying that EV’s are better for the environment no matter who makes them. Last comment.
An example on how not to do it:
You: EVs are better for the environment
Comment: Why are you saying that China should rule the world?
You: I never said that you asshole. Why are you sticking up for China, you fucking tankie. You’re a troll piece of shit, etc., etc.,
Comment: You said China is amazing, you obviously want to go down on them
You: Why are you saying this shit? Etc., etc., etc. blah, blah, blah
I can see the scars, friend. Thank you for your service.
Lol, I should have prefaced with Reddit survivor.
Honestly, I have PTSD from that site. Things are better here, but sometimes my flashbacks get triggered.
How to handle it: don’t
Let other people in the comments downvote and correct them.
But they don’t correct them often, especially if it’s a longer post that has some nuance to it. People here don’t like nuance. I’m not sure people anywhere do anymore. That would involve reading and understanding others that you actively disagree with.
You don’t. Accept you are wrong and move on.
You aren’t going to be correct in every situation even with what you think is supporting evidence.
Edit: maybe don’t insult them either.
Were you intentionally trying to provide an example of what OP was taking about?
Check OPs previous post about how video games are stopping young men from rioting.
Absolutely ignoring thousands of years of non rioting before video games were invented, ignoring the many many protest since the invention of video games, and disregarding women in the entire discussion.
thousands of years of non rioting
Source? Pretty sure there’s never once since the dawn of civilization been a thousand contiguous years in any culture that didn’t see any rioting.
Hell, very few civilizations have ever lasted 1000 years without any major upheavals.
But my fear, acquired from Reddit, is that people are going to read this guy’s totally inaccurate presentation of my argument and then every comment in the rest of the discussion will proceed as if that’s what I said.
Difficult as it is, I have to remind myself that the people who do this are not my target audience. They are swayed by the wind like blades of grass. Even if I convince them, they will be unconvinced by next week. The people who my words can affect are the people who bother to read what was actually said.
If I feel the need to reply, a very simple “that’s not what I said but okay” and block them and move on. If they want to respond, anything they say will be longer than that sentence and the people who aren’t invested will gloss over it and move on. And the people who are invested will go back and reread what I originally said. Or at least that’s what I tell myself as I open up TikTok to look at videos of cats chattering and possums loudly cronching on grapes or whatever cute shit they’re up to.
