To build upon my last post and to add another perspective,
Again, this is an internet forum, not a high school.
We should remember that most people reading this forum aren’t registered members, rather just lurkers who visit for the content.
This means when we engage in discussion with other members, our conversations are not strictly an isolated dialogue without external eyes. Instead, there are observers –– a spectating audience.
When an audience observes a discussion or a debate, it is fairly easy for them to pick up on emotional language and hostility.
In the eyes of an audience, nothing hurts the persuasiveness of our arguments more than us showing a lack of composure via personal insults aimed at our opponent.
Even if we feel like we can’t break through to the person we are aiming our response at, we should avoid personalizing our responses out of frustration. Instead, we should look at the bigger picture and understand that our sphere of influence extends beyond just that of who we are responding to, it extends to all readers of this forum — to our audience.
This means acknowledging your part in recognizing hostility not only in yourself, but also in the other, and attempting to de-escalate situation for the sake of civil discourse and a fruitful conversation for all readers.
I find the following quote holds a lot of truth,
“Insults are the last resort of insecure people with a crumbling position trying to appear confident.”