When an internet troll’s at his computer¹, he sees himself like this:
But in reality, he’s probably as tough and hardcore as this:
Ask anyone who’s been successful in what they do and see if they get people trolling them… Just go to Lebron’s Instagram to see a million people trolling him about crying 6 years ago or about his hairline. Or go to the comments section on Tim Ferriss’ Facebook and see people giving it to him that the 4-hour Workweek doesn’t work for everyone².
Same thing goes for women in positions of influence, but here it gets much creepier (and worse). Women journos get their phone numbers shared on sex websites or threatened much more seriously just for doing things like saying a comic book cover was bad.
Trolls on the internet are like hockey fans behind the glass. They can say anything they want, no matter how bad, because they know there’s a shit ton of people watching, everything’s monitored, and any retaliation is going to be trouble for the other guy and they’ll come out of it as nothing but a poor victim.
And anyone trolling someone is not going to be someone who’s happy with their life. Most likely they’re miserable and trolling gives them some type of a rush, and that rush is amplified further should they get a response. Picture someone successful… Can you imagine them trolling someone? Hell no.
If only pucks could get lifted over the glass on the internet…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yootoZMCCOM
Or at least be fired at the glass…
But unfortunately technology hasn’t advanced enough to do that yet. So if you’re ever trolled, or more significantly insulted in real life, do this:
Laugh (or smile) it off. When you get someone yapping at you like the guy in white, Brad Marchand (the smartass little guy with the smartass little guy complex), be the guy in red (Johnny Gaudreau).
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¹ I use ‘his’ because most likely it’s a ‘his’. How many female dictators can you name? It’s the same principle for internet trolls. When it comes to pride and trying to look tough, its us guys that are the demented ones.
² By the way it doesn’t. If you’re a cab driver, tradesman or car mechanic for example, outsourcing and remote work is useless. But there are principles and ideas to take from that that everyone can use in some way.