why does it upset us? (women, love, child, friends)

[Tzaphkiel]

i would guess that a lot of us here on CD have had the experience of getting upset over something we read in a post. Or feeling angry at a person posting. I'm talking upset to the point of being near tears, or losing sleep over it, or getting angry and distracted and thinking about it even after the computer is turned off.

How can a post on a forum, from people we've never met and who aren't "real people" in our lives, upset us that much?

I know this has happened to me, and I'm wondering how others come to terms with this?

Thank you as always for your input.

[Hobokenkitchen]

I can get temporarily irritated about something someone writes, but don't usually take it personally.
I did get annoyed with one poster on this forum who called me a liar - boy I wanted to respond with some choice names for him because he was so far off base it was a joke. I just let it go. What's the point.

There is a poster on the Political Forums who I avoid. He thinks the exact opposite of everything I do, which normally would invite some fun conversation, but I find that I just don't even want to discuss stuff with someone who has that kind of belief system. Sometimes is ok, but regularly not, he just brings down my faith in human kind! So I tend to avoid that forum unless I fancy some confrontation!

So that's my tactic; avoidance!

[miu]

I'm a veteran of several message boards. I've been posting on the internet for well over seven years now. My skin has always been fairly thick. I've always accepted that there are going to be differing opinions and that we have to all learn to co-exist.

The politics forum on this board is the harshest in terms of the clashing of differing opinions. I can't wait until this year's presidential election is over.

[arod0331]

Just brush it off. I can be irritated, but not hurt by any remarks on a message board. The only ones who can hurt me are the ones that I love.

[old_cold]

If it happens infrequently they've just hit you on a day when you've forgotten that you never have to hold your hands out to take the bag of crap someone is trying to hand you.
Or.....they've hit a sore spot that you're carrying some guilt over
Or.....you're so insecure that you're affected by people that don't even matter
Or.....you're so insecure you don't feel your world is safe unless you can get everybody to agree with your point of view

Or...or....Lots of or's .....different people, different reasons, but generally there is an insecurity lurking behind them

[SifuPhil]

I'm also a vet of the boards, and for the first few years I would occasionally crawl off to the corner and weep for hours. A few years later, I would only weep for a few minutes.

Now I just kick the ferrets and return to posting.

[breeze823]

I can get irritated by some of the opinions on here, but not enough to cry over. If I ever feel that badly from a post, it's time to walk away from the computer,lol.

On the other hand, there is a group of women that I have posted with for years. It's a twin club and many of us have met in real life. I have had my feelings hurt there enough to be sad about or mad. But after I chill, I come around. I guess I can get emotional about that group is because we are great friends and have been through alot with our pregnancies and raising twins.

[old_cold]

On the political forums and even on some like how a child should be raised, there is the hope you might get someone to change their mind because it could affect your world in some ways.
But as far as your personal life it won't.
You aren't going to have to face these people tomorrow in the grocery or have them spread gossip about you around town.So, in that case, it's on you only as to how you're reacting.

[pitt_transplant]

A funny visual always amuses me:

Think about printing it out and showing back to the o.p. While o.p. is reading printout proceed to punch or b**ch smack thier face through the paper and ask them if the like it.

[cricket_factor]

I love this thread and relate all too well to it. I don't cry, but I do feel anger sometimes.

I think about meeting the offending poster in real life. I wonder how "wonderful" the person behind the keyboard is, especially when they have that Holier Than Thou attitude running prevalent through all their posts.