mjp
Founding member
The Projectile can seem normal, if somewhat sensitive, for a short period of time. Their true nature, however, cannot be concealed for very long, and is normally exposed at the first sign of another person disagreeing with them. This infuriates The Projectile, who then rails against "internet bullies" and "anonymous tough guys." Paradoxically, they take great pains to remain anonymous themselves and threaten anyone who disagrees with them, to the point of describing - often in lurid detail - the physical violence they will bring down upon their perceived enemies.
Common signs of The Projectile are insults that originated on usenet in the 1980s. Devastating barbs such as characterizing their foes as "overweight," "lonely," "a coward hiding behind a screen," "typing form your mother's basement," etc. You will also see them inviting contact with their tormentors by demanding to meet them in "real life," so they may inflict necessary punishment, often employing such hyperbole as offering to purchase airfare to their hometown in order to facilitate the violent altercation (which will always, in The Projectile's mind, end in personal triumph).
This behavior has its roots in a real life sense of impotence, despair and isolation. In psychological terms the aggressor is "projecting" their deficiencies onto the world at large. An example of psychological projection might be blaming another for self failure. The mind may avoid the discomfort of consciously admitting personal faults by keeping those feelings unconscious, and attaching, or "projecting," those same faults onto another. Also at work is something called "Ressentiment" - a reassignment of the pain that accompanies a sense of one's own inferiority/failure onto an external scapegoat.
In the vast majority of cases The Projectile will also exhibit very clear signs of passive-aggressive behavior; for example, lashing out with vicious attacks, then in the face of the inevitable backlash, retreating into an awkward and embarrassing "Nobody loves me/I can see I'm not welcome here" stance. This can occasionally catch members of the community at large off guard, causing them to encourage The Projectile to stay and participate. However, such an invitation eventually and inevitably leads to similar outbursts of frustration and rage.
It is understandable that many feel pity for The Projectile when witnessing such a bewildering array of psychological burdens exhibited by a single person. However, The Projectile cannot be deterred or changed, so pity is ill-advised.
The Projectile shares a few traits with The Rebel, though the Rebel rarely includes the threat of physical violence in their arsenal of annoyances.
Common signs of The Projectile are insults that originated on usenet in the 1980s. Devastating barbs such as characterizing their foes as "overweight," "lonely," "a coward hiding behind a screen," "typing form your mother's basement," etc. You will also see them inviting contact with their tormentors by demanding to meet them in "real life," so they may inflict necessary punishment, often employing such hyperbole as offering to purchase airfare to their hometown in order to facilitate the violent altercation (which will always, in The Projectile's mind, end in personal triumph).
This behavior has its roots in a real life sense of impotence, despair and isolation. In psychological terms the aggressor is "projecting" their deficiencies onto the world at large. An example of psychological projection might be blaming another for self failure. The mind may avoid the discomfort of consciously admitting personal faults by keeping those feelings unconscious, and attaching, or "projecting," those same faults onto another. Also at work is something called "Ressentiment" - a reassignment of the pain that accompanies a sense of one's own inferiority/failure onto an external scapegoat.
In the vast majority of cases The Projectile will also exhibit very clear signs of passive-aggressive behavior; for example, lashing out with vicious attacks, then in the face of the inevitable backlash, retreating into an awkward and embarrassing "Nobody loves me/I can see I'm not welcome here" stance. This can occasionally catch members of the community at large off guard, causing them to encourage The Projectile to stay and participate. However, such an invitation eventually and inevitably leads to similar outbursts of frustration and rage.
It is understandable that many feel pity for The Projectile when witnessing such a bewildering array of psychological burdens exhibited by a single person. However, The Projectile cannot be deterred or changed, so pity is ill-advised.
The Projectile shares a few traits with The Rebel, though the Rebel rarely includes the threat of physical violence in their arsenal of annoyances.
