I'm Bear

I'm bear

these goobers are goobin

No one is doomed to abuse people. There isn't an "abuser gene" or "evil chromosome". There aren't "cursed bloodlines".

There's a culture that frequently enables, romanticizes and eroticizes abuse, and individual human beings who choose to take advantage of that, or not.

Even someone who has abused others in the past has a decision about whether or not to continue that harm. Further abuse isn't inevitable, it's a choice.

The idea that abusers can't help it just further enables abuse culture. If someone is abusive, they are making a choice.

If you ever encounter a conspiracy person of any type irl, you can act like you've never heard of

their particular conspiracy

online communities

Don't start arguing with them headfirst, or tell them that they're wrong. Make them explain the entire thing to you from the start, and once they have, ask them where has this happened? Whom has it happened to? How do they know these people that have experienced this? Like was that their uncle or a co-worker or who exactly is it that has told them about these things?

And as soon as they mention online forums, just look at them with deeply baffled confusion, and as slowly as possible, ask "so you were told all this by... someone from the internet?" with the exact same cautiously incredulous tone as if they had just said they receive all of their news from a talking dog.

cats are really useful for when you need a small animal to sit 10-15 feet away from you and stare at you with unceasing neutrality