[sfgweilr4f]

No cited references. Here's a stream of consciousness to provoke a troll or some solumn person who knows better.

Sum it up in one word: Fear. Sense of threat. The unknown is scary. The not-same is scary. Lack of familiarity. People are terrified. Of something. Anything.

Other aspects and similar mental distortions:

Anonymity shows the real core because of the apparent lack of known self versus the usually hidden one. Along with the ability to be anonymous is the ability to explore the usually unknown.

Trolling is the perceived absence of impact and the simulation of importance through thwarting others' natural progress. This is one source of their hate and their fun. They receive accomplishment through the roadblocks they create for others because of the trolling interference. Any social validation is still validation in their mind. In reality the ones who are trolled are progressing regardless and the troll is the one who gets further left behind.

Probably one or more of these. The usual suspects of jealousy etc should not be overlooked but I'm out of beer.

Bonus observation: The nervous people are scary. What are they afraid of? What if they know something? Maybe I should be afraid of THEM? Now the nervous person is a threat just by being "too" nervous or not nervous enough (he's too "aloof" so he doesn't care). This is why some people get attacked by a group. A similar example is the person not sure of themselves: they are a threat because if they are unsure of themselves they are perceived to unsure of and incapable of everything else. "They might do anything. We can't trust them. Better attack them now and find out." This is the basis for at least three different variants of bullying, including mobbing. Difference from the group norm, group cohesiveness reinforcement etc etc.