memes

It's a lowest common denominator strategy. If you respond in kindness, there's an outsized chance you'll be attacked in kind. So lots of people choose to attack first rather than be a victim of being attacked. It's a strategy that only works if enough people choose it.

That's why I stuck to more niche communities on reddit, less chance that people engage like that. Or, even if they do, I can be genuinely kind back and they usually cool off.

Or, from another perspective, you don't know if the person you're engaging with means you or your community harm but they said things that people who do mean you harm have said in the past. So, you make it immediately clear that you and your community aren't easy targets. It's still a lowest common denominator strategy, but one that centers the safety of others.

Maybe it’s because sometimes I find myself accidentally in hexbear and getting banned