Another Nugget of Awesome from another Thread O’ Doom at Pharyngula (Pharyngula has the best Threads O’Doom, but Content Note applies – defiantly sarcastic references to triggering tropes abound, often as part of commentor handles):

#316 Crip Dyke, MQ, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden Permalink

[…] yet again, tone trolling.

Look, do we really need to have this argument again? It’s perfectly possible to decisively undercut a position or opponent without swearing or using any offensive language whatsoever.

Here are a few examples of someone angry or expressing disagreement without being all rude about it:

You have failed me for the last time, Admiral. Captain Piett?
Make ready to land our troops beyond their energy field, and deploy the fleet, so that nothing gets off the system.
You are in command now, Admiral Piett.

The Empire will compensate you, if he dies. Put him in.

Perhaps you think you’re being treated unfairly?

You know it would be unfortunate if I had to leave a garrison here.

And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden rebel base.

See? Even when terribly upset, pushed to the brink by the uppity folks who prefer to resort to extreme rhetoric – like calling this composed, civil person a “master of evil”! – this is a man who never swears.

You see! We can aspire to the high character of one who can [suppress] his own emotions. What? You still disagree?

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Also, for anybody who hasn’t yet encountered the Captain Awkward posts indexed under “Darth Vader Boyfriend”*, the archive has many illustrations of how deeply undermining manipulative abuse can be perpetrated by someone who is Being Perfectly Civil In Every Way (a very effective form of gaslighting), and as is usual for CA, the comments are at least as illuminating as the posts.

* N.B. Captain Awkward has a bit of inconsistency in indexing between different authors, so there is a DVB category and two DVB tags (DVB tag 1, DVB tag 2) if you want to make sure that you catch all the posts on that theme.

Categories: ethics & philosophy, Meta

Tags: nuggets of awesome, silencing tactics