Dealing with the rage...?

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Specifically, dealing with the rage that can come from watching what people do to those from the LGBT community (or do to any group that gets targeted by hate), or watching/reading all of the deeply nasty things that so many asshats say towards such people.

To explain a bit, every now and then, I'll read some article related to the LGBT cause or whatever, could be related to it in any way, and then out of habit, I go and look at some of the comments. Some sort of twisted morbid curiosity, I suppose, I can be that way sometimes. But anyway, I'll do that, and usually give an exasperated sigh and then go do something else.

But every so often it doesnt go that way. I'll do all of that, and then in the process of looking at what various idiots are saying... I'll just completely snap. And then there comes Rage, my oldest and closest friend, to greet me yet again. And I just get REALLY bothered by it.... even if it is just comments on the damn internet, sometimes it still gets to me a bit too much. Because I know full well the generalized large-scale hate that such comments symbolize.

Today, it was actually this article: https://www.yahoo.com/food/taste-the-ra ... 36241.html

The article itself is totally harmless. But I go and look at the comments (no, I dont remember which ones) and.... yeah, I just lose what little cool I had to begin with.

Now granted, to some degree this is my nature; I often describe myself as having a "dark" personality, which I think is definitely the most fitting word, and I have a very short fuse as well. So I can be more easily brought to an enraged state than most people can.

But still, there aint much I cant stand more than watching people be bigoted jerks, and watching or knowing the damage that it does indeed cause to those that are the targets of it.

I doubt I'm the only one that gets more than a bit angered at this sort of crap at times, so, for anyone that knows the feeling... what do you do about it? The anger that can come from stuff like this?

reading your posts is always like looking at myself.

a lot of stuff on the internet bothers me.

i once went so far as to go into my internet settings a block a website so i would stop going there to read their ignorance.

i always avoid comments sections for videos. that is one of their favorite spots.

and sites like miiverse are just awful: "OMG SO RANDOM WATERMELON RAINBOW KITTY WAFFLES"
i had to disable comments on my posts as people kept commmenting incoherent things on my posts.

if it isn't that, it is complaining about moderation and "wrongful bans":
"i am going to post that i did nothing wrong and not tell the whole story just to get people on my side! (even though i know exactly what i did to get in trouble)"

Ugh, yeah, I've done that thing with blocking a site too. Because otherwise I just HAVE to go look at it, dont I, even if I know it'll anger me....

Miiverse though, I actually havent encountered those problems with it. Though, I'm kinda picky about where I'll post... I post in Splatoon occaisionally because the game is just that good, I post in Binding of Isaac because I know *alot* about the game and there's always people asking a bazillion questions, and I find myself posting a ton in Mario Maker now. Half of which is me complaining about Lakitu spam. Or at least that's what it feels like I complain about the most. But yeah, I've not really encountered any bad posts or responses in my time there. Is it specific communities where this happens?

not really. it used to be a lot worse before they started limiting to 30 posts a day.

check any verified user's post's comments. that is a good area to find stupidity and irrelevant and rude comments.

i used to browse miiverse a lot when it was new, but slowly it became like the rest of the internet.
i cannot read anything there anymore without cringing.

I think is has to do with what psychology calls "defense mechanisms".

As a LGBT person, the comments may be causing you increasing anxiety, perhaps, because they invoke feelings of shame and guilt in your subconscious mind.

You know their comments are nonsense, yet, those provoked feelings of shame that "you are wrong", "you are bad", "you are flawed" are still processed in the subconscious mind, and that may cause you increasing anxiety.

"When anxiety becomes overwhelming, it is the ego's place to protect the person by employing defense mechanisms. Guilt, embarrassment and shame often accompany anxiety".

"The anxiety is felt as an increase in bodily or mental tension and the signal that the organism receives in this way allows it the possibility of taking defensive action regarding the perceived danger. Defense mechanisms work by distorting the id impulses into acceptable forms, or by unconscious or conscious blockage of these impulse".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_mechanisms
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You may find this interesting ...

Anger can be a Cover Up for Guilt, Shame and Vulnerability
http://www.angriesout.com/grown18.htm
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'Anger' seems to me to be the most immature response.

However, we are humans , and it's understandable why you would.

To find a solution, it seems like you need to first understand the cause. Perhaps the above will help.

I don't get ragey about stuff.. even stuff like that. I lol & if it's convenient, ie I can comment via Facebook, I'll reply to the comments with things like facts, truth, statistics, and common sense to refute the ridiculousness of homophobes. One of my favourite comments to drop is that homosexuality has been observed in over 1500 animal species.. and that there is nothing more natural than nature!

I was raised by strict, conservative Christians. Which meant I formally studied the Bible and other documents all the way through college. One way I deal with this stuff is to use what I was taught against them, much as you use science.

The way I see it, if even just a few people go onto those threads and present good, solid arguments (science, mostly, but theology too, to some degree) it's not going to convince the haters. It just isn't. They are on that thread as a form of self-inflating ego boost. But by staying calm and presenting rational information and education, I'd venture to say that any number of other people - who are not there for therapy - might have their opinions altered ever so slightly in our favor.

I usually avoid commentaries sections of almost everything because, apparently, I "can fit" under almost every single category of words that people use nowadays to offend people online: Gay, Autistic and Nerd. So yeah, it's best for me to do not frequent the places where I know I probably will read something to make me sad, mad or enraged lol.

If people are going to be bigots online, then usually I either laugh or frown at their stupidity. There was a self-loathing transphobe on this section of the board who bothered me. I think that was actually the last time I posted anything online to call someone out for being overly prejudicial.

I'm trying to unwind from getting too involved. It's done me no favours in the flesh except potentially put myself or others in danger. Online? It's all too often like trying to speak to a brick wall. People who are homophobic, trans or queer phobic are usually too deeply entrenched in their views to be reasoned with. I might try to engage if someone was genuinely open to having their opinions changed, but that's all too rare sadly.