TED TALK: “Inside the bizarre world of trolls and propagandists” ~ Andrew Marantz
You don’t just have people who wake up in the morning and say “What evil things can I do today, because I’m Mr. Evil?” People do things for what they think are justified reasons. Everybody is the Hero of their own story, and you have to keep that in mind. If you read a lot of history, as I do, even the worst and most monstrous people thought they were the good guys. We’re all very tangled knots.”
~ George R.R. Martin, Author “Game of Thrones” (GoT)
I have internally debated this very idea many times over the past few years since I began working on this story. The question:
“Do trolls even know that they are Trolls? Or do they honestly think that what they do is justified?”
I have actually come to also believe that many trolls consider themselves to be heroes. And that they are in a sense “saving society” by educating them on the error of their human ways. In their eyes they are unsung heroes not trolls.
I believe that one of the major underlying issues is that in our society we have become so desensitized to even the basics of human etiquette. We no longer care how what we say or do effects others, as long as we can justify that it was our right to say or do what we feel is real. This state of humanity is what makes my original question (which at a time I would have thought to be a truly ludicrous one at best), is today plausible. “Do trolls even know that they are trolls?”
In a world where keeping it real is expected, rudeness and obnoxiousness is now rewarded, celebrated, often easily ignored or at the least forgiven. The retort “what was I supposed to do, they put themselves out there.”, “It’s true.”, “It’s my opinion,” etc. are all that’s necessary to lob whatever obnoxious comment, reply, or post that one felt needed to be commented, replied or posted. For some reason the insulation that being online/the media offers has created a culture that basically praises being an asshole.
This is still very hard for me to process.
I don’t consider myself old, but I am definitely ‘ol school.
Not sure if it’s because I’m from Texas (Dallas) or if it just “is” and “always has been” just my core, but obnoxiousness, condescension, and rudeness are things that I just can’t abide. Online or Live and in living color.
By sheer habit I call everyone “Sir or Ma’am”. On this I do not budge. Whether you are 5 or 55, that’s how it’s going down. Ironically this has very often gotten me in trouble. For some reason some people, take offense to these references. I am often told that it makes them feel old. Needless to say my mind is completely blown.
We now live in a world, where showing another human being equal and unconditional respect is now considered offensive, and being alive is now embarrassing.
Wow.
A lot of the issue is derived from the now prioritization of “engagement” over “personal core values”.
The one common thread that runs through the above quote by George RR Martin, Andrew’s TED Talk (above), and what I have now come to intimately realize [observing social media], on this journey is that trolls are not bad people, they are often great people. They just choose to be bad, and do bad $#!+.
Sometimes knowingly. Sometimes simply because they can. Almost always though, the primary push to the dark side is simply for no other reason than it will boost their engagement.
Unfortunately the good in them is never rewarded with the same enthusiasm and “likes” as that of obnoxiousness, and that is something that they apparently can’t abide.
Being bad just works.
Good is boring. Good is for “squares”, “tools” and “average people” who are scared to be who they really are. Basically Good is for “suckas”. and no one wants to be a “sucka”.
This TED Talk is one that spoke directly to the very core of “The Why” I am doing this. The way I am doing this. And why I have to do this now.
I will be posting a much more in depth deep dive into this subject (in a week ;)) and why it is at the core of my crazy mission to change the world, positively.
For now though (if you haven’t already), please watch Andrew’s TED Talk.
