# Smapti is Pitted **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 21, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907 "2014-05-21T08:14:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 50
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/981 "2014-11-08T01:07:25Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Believe whatever you want. I’m obviously not going to change your mind. **Smapti** , in all seriousness, did you ever consider getting counseling? Because you do seem to have a lot of baggage. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/982 "2014-11-08T02:12:53Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Come on - we only have 17 more polls to go before we catch up. 🙂 But we have to re-live the 90s! :eek: Then again, I drank a lot during the 90s… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/983 "2014-11-08T03:25:36Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > But we have to re-live the 90s! :eek: > > Then again, I drank a lot during the 90s… Apparently, so did everyone listening to the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/984 "2014-11-08T06:17:01Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I never bought into the whole I am the way that I am because of my mom and dad. > > That like racists saying: “I can’t help it if I’m racist, I was raised that way.” I’m inclined to agree, however, one of the key requirements for taking responsibility is having sufficient insight to understand that the way you are is not healthy. Maybe a thread like this could be a wake-up call for **Smapti** , but given the incomprehensibly cruel things said to him in this thread, I find that unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/985 "2014-11-08T18:57:38Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Maybe a thread like this could be a wake-up call for **Smapti** , but given the incomprehensibly cruel things said to him in this thread, I find that unlikely. If you think the things said about him in this thread are incomprehensibly cruel, you obviously haven’t read the shit this guy has posted. I have rarely seen a more well deserved pitting. It’s cruel, but not incomprehensibly so. That said, I have to give him props for backing off and walking away. He’s posted to other threads, but not this one. Time will tell whether he’s actually showing signs of personal growth, or just can’t take the heat and left the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/986 "2014-11-08T19:30:56Z")
Nothing shows a cruel and unfeeling person how to behave, like an entire thread of cruel and unfeeling comments about them. Good job internets ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/987 "2014-11-08T19:55:18Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > Nothing shows a cruel and unfeeling person how to behave, like an entire thread of cruel and unfeeling comments about them. > > Good job internets Karma’s a bitch like that. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/988 "2014-11-08T20:04:32Z")
As long as you don’t think about the karma that led to another human being behaving in ways you dislike. Then you have to believe it is all choice. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/989 "2014-11-08T20:41:05Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > Nothing shows a cruel and unfeeling person how to behave, like an entire thread of cruel and unfeeling comments about them. > > Good job internets Yup. Shred the post, not the poster. Pit or not, name calling doesn’t change minds. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/990 "2014-11-08T20:42:11Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > As long as you don’t think about the karma that led to another human being behaving in ways you dislike. Then you have to believe it is all choice. Are you actually defending Smapti’s behavior, or are you just here to bask in a sense of moral superiority? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/991 "2014-11-08T20:47:03Z")
> [@Mithrander](#): > > If you think the things said about him in this thread are incomprehensibly cruel, you obviously haven’t read the shit this guy has posted. I have rarely seen a more well deserved pitting. It’s cruel, but not incomprehensibly so. I actually did go back and try to read what he’s posted. You are correct, the vitriol is more comprehensible, but I’d draw the line at calling it ‘deserved.’ I have no doubt that if his ideas were embraced by society the results would be catastrophic. But, they probably won’t be embraced by society. His ideas are about as marginalized as it comes. To quote that wonderful Kentucky judge who slapped down the gay marriage ban, ''these arguments are not of serious people." It’s easy to say ‘‘This is the Pit’’ but I hang out here a lot and it’s not actually the cesspit of cruelty that most would make it out to be. It’s more the equivalent of ‘‘[Ow. Quit it. Ow. Quit it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT96xH8UoeY)’’ Calling a person subhuman after they openly discuss their childhood torment is actually pretty bad even for the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/992 "2014-11-08T21:02:34Z")
Where was the story of childhood torment before it was needed to ‘explain’ Smapti’s epic cowardice, fascism, idiocy, and self-absorbed contempt for all the rest of humanity? Even if the story were true, it could not begin to justify the picture he painted of himself. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/993 "2014-11-08T21:02:34Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Calling a person subhuman after they openly discuss their childhood torment is actually pretty bad even for the Pit. So when people both make subhuman-like statements on a message board, and also have a history of traumatic childhood experiences, how should people respond? How about when people make subhuman-like statements and we don’t know of their childhood traumas? Are we obligated to inquire about their history before responding? ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/994 "2014-11-08T21:07:31Z")
> [@Mithrander](#): > > Are you actually defending Smapti’s behavior, or are you just here to bask in a sense of moral superiority? This wasn’t directed at me, but I’ll answer anyway. I don’t defend Smapti’s behavior or his beliefs, and have disagreed with him. What doesn’t sit well is the pile-on, lynch mob mentality this has taken on. It makes me really uncomfortable. I’m just explaining my viewpoint, no moral superiority or even argument intended. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/995 "2014-11-08T21:29:15Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Where was the story of childhood torment before it was needed to ‘explain’ Smapti’s epic cowardice, fascism, idiocy, and self-absorbed contempt for all the rest of humanity? It’s taking a lot of effort for me to stay away from this thread, but at the risk of being accused of trolling again I feel like I have to respond to this. Everything I have said about my upbringing is true. Look through my post history if you don’t believe me. The other day wasn’t the first time I’ve mentioned the circumstances of my youth. I’m 31 years old and I have no top teeth because by the time I finally saw a dentist for the first time they were too cracked and abscessed to save. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I had ever lived in the same home for more than two years. My mother (who is thankfully now clean and sober) is on SSDI because she suffers from PTSD after having dealt with my father for so many years, and can’t hold a job or deal with many kinds of high-pressure interactions without having a panic attack. I’m not trying to earn your pity or excuse my opinions. I just don’t like being called a liar. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/996 "2014-11-08T21:35:25Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Where was the story of childhood torment before it was needed to ‘explain’ Smapti’s epic cowardice, fascism, idiocy, and self-absorbed contempt for all the rest of humanity? Post #890 in this thread. > [@Helena330](#): > > This wasn’t directed at me, but I’ll answer anyway. I don’t defend Smapti’s behavior or his beliefs, and have disagreed with him. What doesn’t sit well is the pile-on, lynch mob mentality this has taken on. It makes me really uncomfortable. Is someone making you read this thread at gunpoint? If it makes you uncomfortable, don’t read it. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/997 "2014-11-08T21:35:27Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > So when people both make subhuman-like statements on a message board, and also have a history of traumatic childhood experiences, how should people respond? > > How about when people make subhuman-like statements and we don’t know of their childhood traumas? Are we obligated to inquire about their history before responding? I would imagine like with most things, it’s all about context. Nobody’s obligated to do anything. It’s fair to say I am particularly sensitive to how society treats the mentally ill or emotionally damaged people of the world. As a general rule I’m going to react more strongly to that issue. I care about **Smapti** ’s feelings. There, I said it. No claims of moral superiority, no categorical imperatives, just that. I care about everyone here. I care about all the people his stupid ideas might hurt, too. Yeah, I know this is the Pit, but I’ve posted here for years and my love for the Pit is not something that’s going to change any more than my love for humanity in general. As for subhuman statements, I’m not sure there’s anything more human than being scared shitless of dying. And this seems to motivate pretty much all of this guy’s arguments. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/998 "2014-11-08T21:36:14Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > What doesn’t sit well is the pile-on, lynch mob mentality this has taken on. If you say things that disparage and degrade someone, don’t be surprised if they lash back. If you say things that disparage and degrade _everyone_, don’t be surprised if a whole bunch of people jump your ass. Again, it was Smapti who set himself in opposition to humanity. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/999 "2014-11-08T21:38:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s taking a lot of effort for me to stay away from this thread, but at the risk of being accused of trolling again I feel like I have to respond to this. I am not trying to hassle you, but am genuinely curious. Can you please take a peek at my post above (#977). Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/1000 "2014-11-08T21:41:08Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Yup. Shred the post, not the poster. Pit or not, name calling doesn’t change minds. “Post, not the poster” has always been a bullshit distinction, BTW. On the internets, a message-board poster _is_ their posts. Pretending differently mainly serves as cover for trolls and worse. And while I have no hope of, or interest in, changing Smapti’s mind, if the well-deserved pile-on causes someone _else_ to reconsider their approach, I call that a win. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907.md?page=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907.md?page=51)