Internet Trolls Are Actually Sadists, Study Finds

OrbitalDawn

OrbitalDawn

Ulysses Everett McGill
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Trolls are susceptible to sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.

The YouTube comment section is known as a special circle of hell—and that might be because the people leaving provocative comments are literally sadists and psychopaths, a new study titled “Trolls just want to have fun” has discovered.

Canadian psychologists Erin Buckels, Paul Trapnell, and Delroy Paulhus set up a survey of personality inventories matched with “Internet commenting styles”—in other words, they attempted to psychoanalyze commenters, which should be cause for a Nobel prize (and hazard pay) in itself. What came from the study will likely surprise no one: people who like to troll are also likely to show signs of “sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.”

Those three character flaws make up the ominous “Dark Tetrad of personality.” Sadism means delighting in the harm of others, psychopathy is an antisocial personality disorder, and Machiavellianism means a person’s tendency to be unemotional and deceitful. Trolls seem to have all three on lock.

Of course, it might just be that the Internet has a tendency to turn people into sadists as a result of its anonymity. This was enshrined by the “online disinhibition effect” that leads us to treat other people online as less than human. (It’s also known by a less scientific name.) If we can’t see their faces, they’re not real, right?

Not all commenters are psychopaths, however. Thankfully the study concludes, “Enjoyment of other online activities, such as chatting and debating, was unrelated to sadism.”
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So basically the study concludes that some people in the world are not right ....... well uhm, thanks but the world kinda knew that ages ago.
 
We all display dark tetrad traits to one degree or another and anonymity allows us to indulge them. I'd be willing to bet everyone's nicer in real life, even ekstasis. Not everyone's smarter in real life though, I guarantee it.
 
I am often accused of being a troll, an accusation that is clearly absurd. Even Nelson Mandela was once called a "terrorist". If you want to know who the real trolls are, just ask the following hypothetical question:

"What clone accounts do (some of) the moderators (or owners) of this site use?"

From whence do the puppetmasters come, who are the puppeteers that control the puppetmasters, and who sits in Kimberley? I have cardinal knowledge about MyBroadband that, were it ever revealed to the public, would cause the South African ICT industry to implode. Thus an uneasy truce exists between myself and Mybroadband. I'm reluctant to say I'm untouchable (famous last words), but let's just say I am unlikely to ever be trifled with, because of what I know (knowledge is power), and because of concerns that what I know, may come out in the wash, were I ever to be trifled with. I know things; they know, I know.

My detractors would certainly love to see me banned. Notwithstanding those, to whomsoever the clock may toll; let it be: thus.
 
Humberto said:
I have cardinal knowledge about MyBroadband that, were it ever revealed to the public, would cause the South African ICT industry to implode.
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Most trolls are just simply narcissists ..
 
Humberto said:
I have cardinal knowledge about MyBroadband that, were it ever revealed to the public, would cause the South African ICT industry to implode.
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Lol, you give myBB far to much power over the industry. There is no way that ANY info myBB has would implode the ICT sector of south africa.
 
Humberto said:
I am often accused of being a troll, an accusation that is clearly absurd. Even Nelson Mandela was once called a "terrorist". If you want to know who the real trolls are, just ask the following hypothetical question:

"What clone accounts do (some of) the moderators (or owners) of this site use?"

From whence do the puppetmasters come, who are the puppeteers that control the puppetmasters, and who sits in Kimberley? I have cardinal knowledge about MyBroadband that, were it ever revealed to the public, would cause the South African ICT industry to implode. Thus an uneasy truce exists between myself and Mybroadband. I'm reluctant to say I'm untouchable (famous last words), but let's just say I am unlikely to ever be trifled with, because of what I know (knowledge is power), and because of concerns that what I know, may come out in the wash, were I ever to be trifled with. I know things; they know, I know.

My detractors would certainly love to see me banned. Notwithstanding those, to whomsoever the clock may toll; let it be: thus.
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Go to the dummy corner and come back when you're funny again. :mad:
 
It's a sad day when someone looking out for his fellow man is labelled a troll. Ah well, the smiley face at least makes me feel better. :)

Nonetheless, just because a boy cries wolf, and the wolves don't attack, does not mean there are no wolves...
 
Humberto said:
I am often accused of being a troll, an accusation that is clearly absurd. Even Nelson Mandela was once called a "terrorist". If you want to know who the real trolls are, just ask the following hypothetical question:

"What clone accounts do (some of) the moderators (or owners) of this site use?"

From whence do the puppetmasters come, who are the puppeteers that control the puppetmasters, and who sits in Kimberley? I have cardinal knowledge about MyBroadband that, were it ever revealed to the public, would cause the South African ICT industry to implode. Thus an uneasy truce exists between myself and Mybroadband. I'm reluctant to say I'm untouchable (famous last words), but let's just say I am unlikely to ever be trifled with, because of what I know (knowledge is power), and because of concerns that what I know, may come out in the wash, were I ever to be trifled with. I know things; they know, I know.

My detractors would certainly love to see me banned. Notwithstanding those, to whomsoever the clock may toll; let it be: thus.
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Most useless post, ever.
 
OrbitalDawn said:
Isn't it sadomasochism if its in a sexual context? It's like an umbrella term for the giving and receiving of pain component.

Sadism = Likes inflicting pain.
Masochism = Likes receiving pain.
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That's also how I understood it, in that sadomasochism is basically an umbrella term for all the components of BDSM, while sadism relates more to the derived pleasure from inflicting harm to another, usually in a nonsexual manner.
 
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