Shit Talking

There are those who actually have something to say.

These are the ones who overstep the boundary of civil debate and choose to use personal attacks as a means to get their point across. I would say that almost everyone does this from time to time, myself included. It’s not so much a conscious decision, as it is an unintentional happening. It almost always has acceptable intent behind it: to get a point across, often one that is of moral significance to the person making the argument.

There are those trying to avoid a spotlight.

These are the cowardly ones and the insecure ones. They may or may not have the intent to bring another down. Most times, it is their own selfishness that brings them to spew negativity. Quite simply, they are afraid that others will realize their flaws and point out their shortcomings. So they throw the first blows. They put the attention on someone else in an attempt to avoid it for themselves. Sure, they may feel bad about it. But in their minds, it would feel so much worse to have their own imperfections exploited.

There are those who want an escape out of their own minds.

These ones are very similar to the former. The insecurity is there. But these ones also have self-loathing added into the mix. These are the ones with low self-esteem and no way out of their minds. To make themselves feel better in their own skin, they constantly compare themselves to other people. Moreover, they voice these comparisons to anyone who will listen. They want everyone to know that they are not as low and worthless as they may feel. They want to truly believe it for themselves as well. These ones constantly seek approval, and they go about getting it by trying to make themselves feel “above” others.

There are those who simply like to hurt other people.

As cruel as it may sound, they just enjoy causing others pain. It’s their entertainment. Maybe they are bored. Maybe nothing else interests them, besides picking apart other people. Oftentimes, they are just apathetic. They couldn’t care less. Alfred said it best in The Dark Knight: “Some men just want to watch the world burn.” Almost everyone who talks shit will claim that they fit this category, but I seriously doubt that very many actually do.