I'm a big believer in the fact that human nature does not change, meaning we don't see change in how humans behave at their core. We may have cultural differences and stylistic approaches in our behavior, but things like envy, anger, hate, jealousy etc. are core emotions and feelings humans tend to struggle with.
In thinking of that, it seems to me that in the last ten years, especially with the blossoming of internet forums, social networking and comment based blogs, there is a very strong sense of anger and hate. This somewhat concerns me because given the anonymity of the internet, you can drop in, make your comments and then be off. yet, most of the time I see such people engaging in very hateful behavior.
Take for instance the recent release of IE9. I haven't even touched it yet, but I am taking in the different opinions of the new browser and it's as if people have decided that it's of little improvement. It's as if Microsoft has been established as this bad company and they will be damned if they give IE9 any hint of positive endorsement.
The same holds true for gaming, as I'm sure many here are aware. With NBA Elite and NBA 2K on the heels of their releases, I notice some endorsing their preference but can't do so without taking a jab at the other game. You will see something like, "NBA Elite looks below average, sorry Elite, you won't be competing with NBA 2K this year." It's very childish but I'm seeing this among adults, which then leads me into asking, "Is this the character of these people deep down? If given complete secrecy to their identity, will they behave in a more negative way, rather than positive?
A lesson I have learned in recent years is that if you deep down don't want something to succeed, if at the core you have animosity, anger and real hate, you will be so jaded that you can not celebrate the success of that very thing that jaded you. It's as if being jaded reinforces a very unhealthy competition that is not necessary in determining our preferred choice or decision. I often wonder if at the root of such behavior if there is deep envy or jealousy, and perhaps some things fuel those feelings and their response is then based in pure hatred and anger.
While these feelings have always been with us since the beginning, the internet has opened an avenue where the opportunity to move in those feelings is open and can be easily accessed, often making the internet's experience a very sad reflection on our society.
In thinking of that, it seems to me that in the last ten years, especially with the blossoming of internet forums, social networking and comment based blogs, there is a very strong sense of anger and hate. This somewhat concerns me because given the anonymity of the internet, you can drop in, make your comments and then be off. yet, most of the time I see such people engaging in very hateful behavior.
Take for instance the recent release of IE9. I haven't even touched it yet, but I am taking in the different opinions of the new browser and it's as if people have decided that it's of little improvement. It's as if Microsoft has been established as this bad company and they will be damned if they give IE9 any hint of positive endorsement.
The same holds true for gaming, as I'm sure many here are aware. With NBA Elite and NBA 2K on the heels of their releases, I notice some endorsing their preference but can't do so without taking a jab at the other game. You will see something like, "NBA Elite looks below average, sorry Elite, you won't be competing with NBA 2K this year." It's very childish but I'm seeing this among adults, which then leads me into asking, "Is this the character of these people deep down? If given complete secrecy to their identity, will they behave in a more negative way, rather than positive?
A lesson I have learned in recent years is that if you deep down don't want something to succeed, if at the core you have animosity, anger and real hate, you will be so jaded that you can not celebrate the success of that very thing that jaded you. It's as if being jaded reinforces a very unhealthy competition that is not necessary in determining our preferred choice or decision. I often wonder if at the root of such behavior if there is deep envy or jealousy, and perhaps some things fuel those feelings and their response is then based in pure hatred and anger.
While these feelings have always been with us since the beginning, the internet has opened an avenue where the opportunity to move in those feelings is open and can be easily accessed, often making the internet's experience a very sad reflection on our society.
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