Once we know something, it becomes hard to imagine what it feels like not to know it.
More quotesTwo people exchange insults online. Neither changes their mind. Hundreds of silent readers decide which one looks deranged.
That complicates Clough’s excellent line.
Arguing with an idiot is usually pointless if persuasion is the purpose. They have more practice, fewer standards and no obligation to admit the ball crossed the line. Every correction provides fresh material and extends the spectacle.
But a public answer is sometimes for everybody else. A false claim about a product, a safety issue or a person’s conduct may deserve one calm correction with evidence. Silence can otherwise look like a concession to readers who have no history of the dispute.
The trick is to decide the audience before typing.
If the answer is the other person, stop once it becomes clear that facts are decorative. If the answer is observers, state the correction, show the source and leave. Do not let the provocateur choose the length, tone and subject of your communication.
Platforms reward continuation, of course. Anger produces replies; replies create distribution; distribution feels like relevance. Soon two strangers have spent an evening improving a company’s engagement figures while making themselves miserable.
Somebody will still post the final sneer after you leave. They may even declare victory. Their reply remains visible beneath the correction for anyone who finds the exchange later.