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[–] 1866818? 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago  (edited ago)

I definitely feel where you are coming from, though I disagree it's anything new. It's the same reason we have fan boys/girls of cars (Ford vs Holden or whatever), console wars (Sega vs Nintendo etc.), religious debates (Christians vs Muslims vs Atheists etc), and even sports teams (Australian State Of Origin Rugby League, Super Bowl, etc). When in reality, you can appreciate the good parts in everything if you look. There is good and bad in everything but there is this instinctual nature to take a side and revel in the conflict. Typically men especially enjoy competition and male culture thrives in these types of environments.

You can see evidence of these themes anywhere you go, from 4chan, voat, sub-reddits, hobby forums, community groups like martial arts classes, university courses, rural towns, etc. The conflict arises most in forums that intersect and have larger populations, from urban cities, news website comment sections, youtube comments, rivalling cultures or religeons, etc. It's human nature.

The constructive feedback versus vicious criticism is another form of the joy found in conflict. In my personal opinion it is a lesser form of conflict compared to the examples given above but it exists none the less (I'd compare it anecdotally to sarcasm versus a witty joke). It also naturally thrives online via anonymous boards because it's a far easier and risk free venture to get your fix, express some emotion, and then log off for the day. There are numerous aspects to the drivers behind engaging in such activities, some enjoy the turmoil, some enjoy intellectual debate, some enjoy learning, and some are using it as an outlet to express various emotions they don't otherwise know how to handle.

The key to an enjoyable time is to either dabble in a bit of everything or find a sub-community which shares your ideal version of conflict, where the rules of engagement are known or at least there is an unspoken agreement of what it is. Where communities often fall apart is when there is an influx of people who share different rules of engagement. This is why smaller communities are often known to be better - because the people within these communities develop an understanding of each other easier which fosters a tribal like culture they come to appreciate. Hence why smaller communities can often become defensive towards new comers who stray from the normality already established. Without shared values, it becomes harder to communicate, harder to forgive minor transgressions, harder to accept people for who they are.

It is generally encouraged to branch out and experience other cultures / value systems as this tempers the instinctual hostility one can have towards someone from a different tribe. This is why wiser people encourage you to travel to other towns, states, countries, and cultures. Because isolating yourself and increasing your hostility towards other cultures is poisonous, closed minded, and dangerous philosophy. It fosters distrust, paranoia, and makes it easier to dehumanise other people.

This is also why generally speaking censorship is a dangerous thing. It promotes the negative aspects of being in unity and of one mind. Those who fear others based on different views or culture are often indoctrinated in this way of thinking. It can be scary when you start to identify these types of people or even cultures in the world because it is too easily led into committing human atrocities in the name of what is "right". People and the movements they can represent who shout down legitimate constructive feedback and don't actively contribute to community are some of the biggest threats we face today in modern society. The ones who shout only criticism or even simply downvoat something they don't like are the drop in the ocean which along with many others, cause the waves which erode away the heart and soul of humanity.