First of all, to the people seeing this in a screenshot on another TL. You're not behind a block don't worry.
We've got a problem here, it seems that despite all of my best efforts to look out for people in the community and rebuild some bridges, it's just not working.. 1/

We're in a weird time where we're trying to to shake off the Trump presence on Twitter, people used to arguing with Q Influencers, etc. We were all on a similar side at one point, trolling can be fun. In that time there were dark spots though, and it's had a lasting effect... 2/

I want to talk about the type of behavior it normalized. As a victim of narcissistic abuse, like many of you, some things lately have felt all too familiar. Targeted harassment, brigading, bullying, sea-lioning. Incessant gaslighting and followed by concern-trolling.. 2/

You know the playbook. Well, what if that certain brand of narcissism that was normalized during that time was contagious? Let me introduce you to narcissism by proxy, a.k.a. Stockholm Syndrome as it pertains to narcissism. 3/ https://medium.com/invisible-illness/becoming-a-narcissist-by-proxy-7c566520935

What happens when a bunch of grown adullts chronically neglect their own mental health, often times self admittedly? Perhaps victims of trauma themselves. Spend entirely too much time immersed in Chan-culture (both participants, and critics)? What is narcissism by proxy? 4/

I recommend reading that whole article. Here is another more recent one explaining the phenomenon, showing the effects it can have on relationships and politics. 5/ https://www.salon.com/2021/03/06/narcissism-can-be-contagious--and-the-repercussions-extend-beyond-relationships/

Sea-lions and flying monkeys, oh my. "You're sounding my alarm!" - #RobertDavidSteele <-- 6/

And so now this comment might make more sense. What I'm saying here i that this isn't about pointing fingers and blaming others, In fact, I think a loot of people just don't know what to do about it. https://twitter.com/amagicwindow/status/1380908124228493315 7/

My attempts to fix the underlying issues with this particular realm of the internet can only go so far. I personally have actively worked for the last 10 years to deal with my problems. Therapy is important, and only you can make that choice. 8/

Until people put their egos aside and take a good long look in the mirror, there won't be an end to this. To those of you who see this behavior and recognize just how toxic and dangerous it is, I would ask you to not encourage or amplify it. 9/

I think that there are a lot of people who are roped into this sphere as narcissistic supply without even knowing it. They laugh and point fingers because it's fun to be on the 'winning' side. Well, it's not about that. 10/

I am a professional software engineer of 20+ years, working 50+ hours a week, and working with highly qualified professionals on projects that are aiming to solve real problems to the benefit of all of us. I do this for free. It's fun to me. 11/

If you're reading this, and you're hesitant to click like on this out of fear of backlash, and then you're positive you won't when I mention #TTP. I'd ask you to stop and think about why, and then think about why that is - and then consider where I started with this thread. 12/

I've extended my hands out to bridge the gap but it's a two way street, and I feel like I'm the only one trying. So let's figure it out. Thanks. 13/

Last but not least: If you're someone that is floating somewhere in between, I'd highly recommend you wait and see how things play out before jumping to bully a community member. Don't let others dictate who you can and can't associate with.

PPS, I’m not judging the concern about not wanting to be engage. I get it. That needs to be resolved though. All I ask if that people read it.

I was hoping to demonstrate some of this by provoking it, and I think I did. Personal disputes are a waste of time.