Troll Theory
Hi everyone. In my most recent jaunt into social media, I have encountered several trolls. I have decided to place before you my theory as to what turns someone into a troll and the two types of trolls that exist on the internet. I hope this will be helpful, in perhaps not only understanding the inner coils of a troll but will allow people to take solace and comfort in understanding, why it is exactly that random people on the internet seek to desecrate well-articulated and crafted thoughts. It is also my intention that a certain peace of mind can emanate from this understanding as perhaps insight into the psyche of someone suffering can redirect our energies into pity rather than continued hostilities.
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Troll #1 – This troll lacks the cognizance or wherewithal to fully comprehend what it is that they are reading and therefore attacks pieces with an unsophisticated nihilistic intent to destroy. They lack the verbosity to properly formulate counter-points or new postulates that can refute the original argument being presented. These trolls typically post in terse shorthand with responses such as “this sucks” or “dumbest thing I have read.” It is not uncommon for this type of troll to use profanity to enhance projections of machismo. Posts have considerable grammar and syntax errors. This troll frequently has ruminations of previous encounters with glory, which originate in grammar school, where truncated messaging, was adulated with laughter and positive affirmations from peers.
This troll, being unable to adapt to the demands of the adult world, thus remains stuck in a regressive form of development, continually seeking the approbation which had been awarded in childhood but now lacks currency. The troll, remains in a never-ending state of dissatisfaction as their passive attempts at conjuring attention often go unnoticed or fail to receive the lavish praise of more creative writers or thinkers.
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Troll # 2 – The second troll is in possession of higher cognitive faculties and is able to troll with a greater command of witticism, irony, and parade dissent with a tad more subtly. The comments solicited, however still remain overtly negative and desultory in nature and seldom address key tenets or claims advanced by the original author. This troll, in the past may have tried to use their intellectual prowess for more substantive work but failed to conjure an audience or positive accolades, resulting in them adapting a more cynical outlook towards life. Much like the first troll, this troll’s modus operandi is to destroy or desecrate ideas regardless of their personal opinion, in an attempt to rekindle the attention that they were unable to earn in the real-world or in other professional exhibitions in which they were denied proper recognition.
Unlike the first troll, this troll does have the creative shrewdness to yield sufficient praise for their work. This praise creates a vicious feedback loop in which the troll keeps ‘trolling’ as their negative comments result in bursts of dopamine, which encourage the behavior to continue rather than channel the exhausted energy into more substantive pursuits.
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Essentially, both trolls have a maladapted personality in which they are unable to form meaningful and authentic relationships to the outside world and in virtual spaces. This creates a sense of perpetual hurt and resentment, that leads both trolls to embrace a fatalistic outlook on life, where they try and redeem their own failures, by destroying anything that might be of pristine value to society, similar to the way in which an envious teenager takes a permanent marker and vandalizes the artwork of another, in a fit of rage, knowing that they themselves remain unable to produce artwork of similar distinction.
It is my hope that the fruits of this knowledge will lead to less hostile engagement with trolls as the satisfaction and knowledge that they remain forever trapped in cycle of self-loathing, jealously, alienation, and feelings of inadequacy govern their behavior.
