[ChrisMarshallNY]

I agree. I think that it's the removal of an emotional connection, and that happens naturally, after a certain pause (an interesting study, would be to find out how long, and I'll bet there are people who can explicitly prevent the analytical part of their mind from taking the wheel).

[altruios]

I disagree that removing an emotional connection removes emotional responses of hate and wild dehumanization. I would categorize all such interactions as emotional. I argue that it is in fact the opposite: Having no analytical consideration for how another human might respond enflames emotions, not dampens them.

It's called flame wars, not analytical wars.

[ChrisMarshallNY]

It’s emotional connection that I’m talking about.

I feel that you are referring to the inwardly-focused thing that happens when we lose connection.

The analytical thing is the loss of emotional connection.

[altruios]

Do you mean empathy, by emotional connection?

If that is the case: I disagree that rage is the natural response to a loss of empathy AND switching to an analytical mode of thinking. I don't think rage (an emotion) stems from analytical thinking. Loss of empathy may be a required precursor to rage comments, but I don't see how analytical thinking fits anywhere in there. And if analytical thinking is a function of time: I would expect to find calmer comments after deliberate thought.

It would be testable - if you had the data - if it was the case that rage comments are thought out, or spur of the moment. I'm betting on the latter. Rage never seems well thought out to me.

If I misread your comment, I am sorry in advance.

[ChrisMarshallNY]

I don't know if it's as "advanced" as empathy. I think it's "reptile-brain" level stuff. Herd/Pack instinct.

Anyway, that's not my wheelhouse. I've spent a lot of time, around a lot of pretty damaged folks, and this is just an observation that I've come up with, on my own.

I've just noticed that direct, realtime communication, has a lot more emotional connection (for both good and bad), than ones where there's a "handshake," so to speak.

It's not always bad. I think we've all been told to "Think about what you're going to say in response." "Count to ten", etc.

If we want to be angry, then the pause allows us to ramp it up, but if we want to be reasonable, it gives us the chance to defuse it, but, at the same time, maybe leach some of the emotional warmth from it.

[SoftTalker]

Also, you see other people doing it, and it rapidly starts to seem "normal." At least for some.