Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists

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Bohemian

Bohemian

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Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists

‘Trolls will lie, exaggerate, and offend to get a response.’

Jennifer Golbeck Ph.D.
Your Online Secrets
Internet
Psychology Today
Posted Sep 18, 2014

‘The next time you encounter a troll online, remember:

  1. These trolls are some truly difficult people.
  2. It is your suffering that brings them pleasure, so the best thing you can do is ignore them.’
 
I'm still of the belief that it's best not to feed trolls. I find it disappointing that the current trend is to try and engage with them and teach them the error of their ways. I really think that just makes a lot of them very happy and feeds their narcissism and psychopathy. I think the only people that works on are people that are regular people who just have a bad day and one outburst, and you can see if that's the case by a quick check through the person's history on that particular site.
 
Eloise said:
I'm still of the belief that it's best not to feed trolls. I find it disappointing that the current trend is to try and engage with them and teach them the error of their ways. I really think that just makes a lot of them very happy and feeds their narcissism and psychopathy. I think the only people that works on are people that are regular people who just have a bad day and one outburst, and you can see if that's the case by a quick check through the person's history on that particular site.
Click to expand...

I agree, Eloise, it’s all a game of masquerade. With the caveat that online trolls aren’t tempted to physically wreak havoc in the real lives of their targets. I would think that in this day and age, they are able to be detected via wifi, CCTV, voice recordings, and number plate and/or facial recognition software, among other means.
 
Eloise said:
I'm still of the belief that it's best not to feed trolls. I find it disappointing that the current trend is to try and engage with them and teach them the error of their ways. I really think that just makes a lot of them very happy and feeds their narcissism and psychopathy. I think the only people that works on are people that are regular people who just have a bad day and one outburst, and you can see if that's the case by a quick check through the person's history on that particular site.
Click to expand...

I agree it's best not to feed the trolls, but speaking as a recent victim of online harassment - sometimes they feed themselves, or one another, and keep attacking. I think in addition to the narcissism and sadism some of them are easily manipulated by other more Machiavellian trolls.

I think some of them (like those from 4chan, and many on twitter) get all the pleasure they need by their own actions no matter what reaction they get.
 
Bohemian said:
I agree, Eloise, it’s all a game of masquerade. With the caveat that online trolls aren’t tempted to physically wreak havoc in the real lives of their targets. I would think that in this day and age, they are able to be detected via wifi, CCTV, voice recordings, and number plate and/or facial recognition software, among other means.
Click to expand...

This reminds me of a documentary I watched, Talhotblond, she didn't do anything physically to anyone else, but she orchestrated a love triangle that turned tragic when one of the men she was stringing along murdered another. She knew they knew each other in real life. She didn't do anything illegal, but I don't think anyone can deny she played a big part in what happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talhotblond
 
bluesneakers said:
I agree it's best not to feed the trolls, but speaking as a recent victim of online harassment - sometimes they feed themselves, or one another, and keep attacking.I think in addition to the narcissism and sadism some of them are easily manipulated by other more Machiavellian trolls.

I think some of them (like those from 4chan, and many on twitter) get all the pleasure they need by their own actions no matter what reaction they get.
Click to expand...

bluesneakers said:
This reminds me of a documentary I watched, Talhotblond, she didn't do anything physically to anyone else, but she orchestrated a love triangle that turned tragic when one of the men she was stringing along murdered another. She knew they knew each other in real life. She didn't do anything illegal, but I don't think anyone can deny she played a big part in what happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talhotblond
Click to expand...

I dimly remember that story. I have been guilty of being a troll. Sometimes my intentions have been honourable. At others; downright hurtful. So, on behalf of ‘ignorant and abusive morons’ (as someone termed it) like me, I would like to offer an unreserved apology for the online harassment you received. No one deserves to be treated like that.

It’s so easy to become ‘caught up in the mob mentality’ on the internet (whilst figuratively wielding pitchforks and flaming torches) and doing damage to someone in real life. In talhotblond’s case it was fatal.

A very wise person told me online once (no, twice) that ‘Words matter.’ It’s not until recently, when I started to learn to have compassion for myself, that I truly learned the meaning of having compassion for others and the weight of those two seemingly simple words. However, as I always say, ‘Ignorance is no excuse.’.

It was a long road to get here, and I’m still travelling upon it. They say with age comes wisdom, I can wish nothing more for everyone — that we evolve into becoming a wiser species. Then, we may finally find peace within ourselves and in the company of others.

Happy Easter, fellow sleuthers x

ETA I am currently being ‘rick-rolled’ by my radio station :floorlaugh:
 
I knew a guy who admitted to trollish behavior online in his past. It was partially fueled by his deep drug addictions (mostly meth) & partly mis-placed anger (he was abused as a child & never given proper counseling or care.) Some of these people have to vent venom somewhere, at something.

Other trolls assume other people are as callous as they are & don't take Internet chats to heart. & Some are learning how to manipulate.

Most of these types "hit the wall" eventually. & There's no quick fix for these issues. They either grow out of it, or they start acting trollish in real life & chase away other people.

I know that 2 people I used to know who relied on Internet communication to scam people are both fat, dimwitted and still running short term scams in middle age. As you age your true nature is easier to read.....
 
I read about this recently. Tragic to understand someone Could willingly do this.
bluesneakers said:
This reminds me of a documentary I watched, Talhotblond, she didn't do anything physically to anyone else, but she orchestrated a love triangle that turned tragic when one of the men she was stringing along murdered another. She knew they knew each other in real life. She didn't do anything illegal, but I don't think anyone can deny she played a big part in what happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talhotblond
Click to expand...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 
bluesneakers said:
This reminds me of a documentary I watched, Talhotblond, she didn't do anything physically to anyone else, but she orchestrated a love triangle that turned tragic when one of the men she was stringing along murdered another. She knew they knew each other in real life. She didn't do anything illegal, but I don't think anyone can deny she played a big part in what happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talhotblond
Click to expand...

I saw that case on television on 20/20. It was Mary Shieler who posed as the Talhotblond. Her own husband divorced and children are estranged from her. Bizarre case all around.
 
Don’t feed the trolls, and other hideous lies

The premise of “don’t feed the trolls” implies that if you ignore a troll, they will inevitably get bored or say, “Oh, you didn’t nibble at my bait? Good play, sir!” and tip their cap and go on their way. Ask anyone who has dealt with persistent harassment online, especially women: this is not usually what happens. Instead, the harasser keeps pushing and pushing to get the reaction they want with even more tenacity and intensity. It’s the same pattern on display in the litany of abusers and stalkers, both online and off, who escalate to more dangerous and threatening behavior when they feel like they are being ignored. In many cases, ignoring a troll can carry just as dear a price as provocation.

...

This brings us to the only thing I know for sure in all this: often, the online abusers win because the game is set up for them to win the moment they decide to play. They have the power to hurt, deeply and profoundly. They always have. And don’t worry, they’ll discover where this game takes them with time. But when it comes to how we respond to them, our tactics can and will vary, and they may involve anger, humor, love, tolerance, blocking, or maybe even some productive discussion. But ultimately, if we care about abuse, we cannot care most about whether we have comforted, converted, or even fed them.

We have to care more about the people they hurt.​
 
Always remember that there is a difference between a troll and someone who just doesn't agree with you. When you are ready to call someone a troll stop and consider that the other person may think YOU'RE the troll. Sometimes you just have to accept that people will not agree and leave it at that.
 
How to Handle Email Harassment

Next, as with any crime, the target of email harassment should save all evidence of abuse, taking screen shots, printing out emails, and making note of links to websites. I set up filters in my email accounts and directed all emails from the sender into a separate email account so I didn’t have to see these insane messages in my inbox.

Also, don’t engage with the abuser beyond a clear, firm request for the abuser to cease and desist. Save the evidence that this request was sent. Often the sick person wants attention and wants to drag you down into engaging at their level. Don’t be sucked in. Chances are good that they’ve bullied other people.

I made contact with Haltabuse.org, an online site that provides free help for harassment victims. Peter Kurata, the kindly case worker assigned to help me, wrote, “The cease and desist is next not only to document your disapproval, but to show non-compliance by the abuser. Whether in email or on a website, reply or post a message to remove the offending material, and save evidence.”
 
Both Facebook and Twitter are completely infested with Russian Bots and Trolls: I reported around 50 fake Facebook profiles today alone - but new ones pop up faster than I can report them. It appears that that same Bot/software is being used to set up these accounts, since the profile photo for all of them has been a cartoon (which looks like a vintage one, and something I've never seen before). Twitter is another story altogether - I actually deleted my account there; way too many Russian Bots and Trolls that have literally taken over. I've reported them over and over, but Twitter never takes any action on these. I genuinely suspect someone is paying for this service. The situation is not as bad as it was prior to the presidential election, but it's certainly ramping up. Also, be aware that the Russian government has been hacking the accounts of Middle-Eastern people; I found well over a hundred of these today alone.
 
SpanishMossAntiques said:
Both Facebook and Twitter are completely infested with Russian Bots and Trolls: I reported around 50 fake Facebook profiles today alone - but new ones pop up faster than I can report them. It appears that that same Bot/software is being used to set up these accounts, since the profile photo for all of them has been a cartoon (which looks like a vintage one, and something I've never seen before). Twitter is another story altogether - I actually deleted my account there; way too many Russian Bots and Trolls that have literally taken over. I've reported them over and over, but Twitter never takes any action on these. I genuinely suspect someone is paying for this service. The situation is not as bad as it was prior to the presidential election, but it's certainly ramping up. Also, be aware that the Russian government has been hacking the accounts of Middle-Eastern people; I found well over a hundred of these today alone.
Click to expand...
How do you know which is a bot and which is a human?
 
SpanishMossAntiques said:
Both Facebook and Twitter are completely infested with Russian Bots and Trolls: I reported around 50 fake Facebook profiles today alone - but new ones pop up faster than I can report them. It appears that that same Bot/software is being used to set up these accounts, since the profile photo for all of them has been a cartoon (which looks like a vintage one, and something I've never seen before). Twitter is another story altogether - I actually deleted my account there; way too many Russian Bots and Trolls that have literally taken over. I've reported them over and over, but Twitter never takes any action on these. I genuinely suspect someone is paying for this service. The situation is not as bad as it was prior to the presidential election, but it's certainly ramping up. Also, be aware that the Russian government has been hacking the accounts of Middle-Eastern people; I found well over a hundred of these today alone.
Click to expand...
I deleted my Twitter account also...mostly because it was being hacked repeatedly. I don't miss it at all.
 
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