Ask Lemmy

There probably is a root cause or at least a cluster of root causes, but I couldn't tell you what.

I've personally known 2 people who fit the profile you're asking about. They get online and they're just so hateful, spiteful, mean, and negative. There's not a lot of commonality between them, but I see some things that might count. Hard for me to know if these are applicable to most people behaving badly online, though.

First and foremost, neither of them behave this way to that extent in person. The worst of their behavior is limited to online interactions. Both of them are terribly flawed people and nowhere near what I would call a great person, though, even in person they are both a lot to handle at times.

These guys have an opinion on literally everything, their opinion is right, and anybody who questions that or has an opposing opinion is to be mocked and belittled. They are egotistical narcissists for sure.

While they seem to have a decent social circle, there are some strange aspects to it. For example, despite all their friends, their family (including close members like parents, children, siblings) are mostly/entirely estranged. And, their friendships often seem a bit shallow and transactional.

These guys both have rigid social expectations of others, and expect other people to follow those standards without having to be asked or told. Like, if a child forgot to say thank you after they were given a gift, they won't ever let that go. 10 years from now, they'll talk about the time that Kimmy didn't say thank you when she was 9. Or if a woman declines their chivalry, then she's a bitch from now until eternity because that's "rude".