Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

My thinking is also that trolls are for the most part simply mean and spiteful;

So, not based in mental illness. Just dickedness. (My word, no one else can use it.)

a reply to: AlaskanDad

You're the one who accused me of being a troll simply because I didn't agree with you.

Are you going to demand that I obey your guidelines and monitor my content when responding to a thread of yours?

a reply to: Phage


Your word. Agreed!

But I'm wondering if there might be a feeling of 'accomplishment"; for those who don't experience a sense of accomplishment in other realms of life. Such as they see a group of people having a decent conversation, and know they can't fit into it. So they set out to destroy it. It becomes a goal to disrupt it, and once they have they perhaps experience a strange sensation of "Check!.... got that done!"
There has to be something they perceive as having gained, or they wouldn't do it.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

There has to be something they perceive as having gained, or they wouldn't do it.

So what?
You begrudge someone their delusional accomplishments?

a reply to: Phage

Begrudge them? Hm, I don't know. Maybe. Or it could be attention seeking behavior. Ya know, negative attention better than no attention.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Or it could be attention seeking behavior.

Pretty much. Unless they happen to be mentally ill. I haven't done a formal study but I think it would be interesting to see how closely trollism correlates to summer vacation.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting
Exactly. It goes back to the three personality types set forth by the study.

What is a narcissist? A person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish.

What is a psychopath? A person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. An an unstable and aggressive person.

What is a sadist? someone who enjoys inflicting pain on others, sometimes in a sexual sense.

How easy are they to identify in real life, never mind online?

How much do they get away with in real life vs online?

How much do they have to hide their tendencies in real life and does then the anonymity of the online world just allow them to get it all out?

And can most of us even tell?

Oftentimes these types are very good at hiding their tendencies as they are not generally socially acceptable. They may even be so good you might think them charming.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting
Aww thanks.

a reply to: Phage

Yeah...summer vacation. That would go back to the boredom factor, maybe, and probably outside the scope of this study.

a reply to: Phage

I haven't done a formal study but I think it would be interesting to see how closely trollism correlates to summer vacation.

That might be a part of it.... kicks keep gettin' harder to find. But, I do think not being able to stand toe to toe with the original conversation plays a role, and lashing out follows for whatever reason. Frustration. Kicks. Meanness.

But there must be a secondary gain. Motivation, gains, all that junk that drives people to do the things they do.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

But there must be a secondary gain.

Some people get kicks by making walks (pull the wings off a fly and you get a walk). Maybe some sadism there but mostly it's the "hurr hurr, Look, a walk!" aspect.

Internet trolls are less harmful.

I'm just waiting for the reactionary thread:

Those who attempt to call out trolls are dejected losers who are so unhappy with their own lives that they get pissed when a troll disrupts the imaginary control and power they think they have on an internet forum.

Tune in next week for, "I'm in love with an internet troll. But he trolls me. Please help."

PS: Lovely thread. Seriously.

ETA:

Or better: "I'm NOT a troll! I'm just misunderstood." lol

a reply to: ~Lucidity

Wow, take your pick of the lamebrains, quite a smorgasbord we got there! (I really should have spent more time on the OP, but I'm trying to watch Naked and Afraid too, so I do appreciate the summation.

ATS does an excellent job of keeping really vicious trolls at bay. But on other sites when fragile people like teens are attacked by trolls, it's really troubling, and sometimes dangerous. Makes me wonder about the future freedom of the internet. Of course, if every site took the care this one does..... it wouldn't escalate to viciousness

a reply to: Phage

Internet trolls are less harmful.

They are until you consider that suicides have occurred because of them.

originally posted by: Liquesence
I'm just waiting for the reactionary thread:

Those who attempt to call out trolls are dejected losers who are so unhappy with their own lives that they get pissed when a troll disrupts the imaginary control and power they think they have on an internet forum.

Tune in next week for, "I'm in love with an internet troll. But he trolls me. Please help."

PS: Lovely thread. Seriously.

LOL...That sounds like a jerry Springer episode

a reply to: ladyinwaiting
I'm not sure trolls have caused suicides. I would attribute it more to bullies.
But that may be a matter of definition.

originally posted by: ladyinwaiting
a reply to: Phage

Internet trolls are less harmful.

They are until you consider that suicides have occurred because of them.

And that indicates another side of the mental illnesses.

a reply to: Liquesence

Yeah...we always have to have that counterbalance...it's healthy, as it helps us reach balance.

One of the funniest and, yes, meanest trolls I ever met at 4chan became one of my dearest friends. He was fun to "fight" with and also actually very, very brilliant at it.

He didn't fit any of these three criteria, but then I don't believe this study is saying that all trolls are one of these three, just that an inordinate number of them appear to be.

a reply to: Phage

The study (which I've not found or read in its entirety as it's $35) in some of the excerpts I did find actually addresses the bully factor but stops short of the stalking part, again from what I can tell. Some bullies actually have a lot of the three traits (if that's even the word for them) described here. There are a lot of similarities. One thing I often wonder about, and I think lady alluded to it, is whether people who go both routes, bullying, whether in real or online, and trolling, don't feel that they have a voice or anyone to talk to or maybe don't have the skills to make their thoughts heard. There again it's back to the frustrations factor.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Yes, ATS does to a great job at it. But to be honest, I also kind of miss the ignore feature too, despite the great job the mods here do. I didn't realize how much until I started visiting a site recently that has it and realized how peaceful it can be to sometimes just not have to deal with constant and repetitive noise all the time.

I have a pretty good built-in manual ignore, but the thing is, you still see it, and being human, there are times when your guard is down or you're just cranky or angry or fed up and fall for it, and then next thing you know, youre kicking yourself for feeding the insanity.

I can see both sides of that particular debate though, so whatever we have to cope with is okay with me.

a reply to: Phage

I suppose the terms (bully/troll) are not necessarily synonymous but the line is a little blurred. Not just an age differentiation either --- both can be both or either. We typically think of bullies as kids, but I've known many adult bullies.