Ask Lemmy

I don't tend to block unless there was clear malice or it is being done in bad faith. Prime examples of this would be accounts that when I look at their history is almost exclusively argumentative posts(this is generally prompted by another reason), people who do personal attacks instead of standard discussion, and people whom it's clear that they aren't trying to add to the conversation, and are trying to derail or push an agenda.

I dunno I haven’t blocked anyone and I don’t know if anyone has blocked me.

I have done this a few times, for me it was just that I was writing a reply and 80% through I realized that I didn't want to argue any more, so I blocked the guy after posting it, just so I wouldn't get any more crap to deal with.

I haven't blocked anyone on this account, but it's new.

On my last one, I think I blocked three users. I believe all were basically trying to flood a community so that it was unreadable (one, IIRC, was just posting the same large Simpsons or Futurama image repeatedly throughout a thread to try to stop people from talking).

Cognitive dissonance.

Even when someone says some stupidly egregious shit, or uses thorns instead of th, its way easier to block them than try to understand that however stupid and misguided they may be that there is a person on the other side who may actually have a point somewhere u Herbert the radicalization and between the five brainless they have.

I think blocking is justified when someone actually means you personal physical harm in some way, but that so rarely ever happens.

I'll try to be civil and will ask clarifying questions.

However, as soon as I see someone both-sides-ing, I block them.
Ain't got no time for their "can't we all just get along, kumbaya" centrist bullshit anymore. No we can't "just get along", the overton window has gone too far to the right for that.
You have actual Nazis running shit now, or attempting to run things in other nations.

We need to fight them, the time for "understanding" is over.

Because you can go through your whole life with zero negative social corrections. It's a low trust, collapse of society thing

Social media split and modified people so much they're often immediately feeling threatened and block that out, imo.

I'm quite happy to have had some discussions (!) on lemmy where I or the other person could explain the view or clear the (mis)understanding and both be wiser people afterwards.

Follow-up to this question after seeing many responses (and thank you): What is your default mode for self-doubt when engaging in discussions?

That is, no matter how confident you may be in something, do you maintain an open door, or are your beliefs you block over completely set in stone?

For me, little terrifies me more than becoming the thing I hate; to be clouded by my own cognitive bias; to inadvertently throw myself into an echo-chamber of self-validation. As such I try my best to always maintain at least the slightest bit of doubt in even my strongest beliefs, and to that end to at least let dialogue challenging that come through.

Most people have egg shell personalities and blocking is their defense mechanism.

Sometimes they even post it to re affirm themselves... It looks pathetic.

Blocking is useful in creating an echo chamber but I don't think that's the intent, just a "positive" outcome the again reaffirms the eggashell personality

Yeah, you are missing context. I can tell right away when someone is arguing from bad faith or spewing propaganda. I don't report, I just block.

You don't want to get blocked, I get it. You think it is some failing in people but it is just you who is failing to understand other people's decisions.

You are thinking about this from your very naive point of view. You are being very disingenuous painting everyone who blocks as someone who is not interested in conversation especially with people who don't agree with them.

While I am sure this happens there is another side to this which is just people blocking obvious trolls for their mental health. I am never going to convince an incel to stop hating women. There is no point in talking to them.