# There's a serious problem in Doperville

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-serious-problem-in-doperville/161032>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 13, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-serious-problem-in-doperville/161032 "2003-03-13T04:11:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-serious-problem-in-doperville/161032/41 "2003-03-14T03:13:43Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Caught@Work \*  
> \*\*Consoling people is not my thing, but hanging shit on them is. \*\*

I think there’s probably a lot of truth in this. Not specifically in regards to Caught@Work, but to quite a few posters in general.

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**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-serious-problem-in-doperville/161032/42 "2003-03-14T07:08:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by EasyPhil \*  
> \*\*…is it a prerequisite to have experienced what someone else has in order to be able to empathize with them? If I see someone get hit by a car, and I have never had that happen to me, I know that it hurt. I think it’s a mis-conception to think that what you would say would seem hollow. \*\*

Well, I read **Payne** ’s thread, and said nothing. I didn’t know what to post that wouldn’t seem trite or contrived… especially in light of the fact that others had already expressed sympathy and encouragement much more eloquently than I would have been able to.

I empathize the hell out of **Payne** ’s situation, I’ve been there myself (or close enough to count), but if I get hit by a car, I imagine that people leaning over me saying “Dude! That’s gotta hurt!” over and over might become annoying.

So I remained silent… as did others.

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**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-serious-problem-in-doperville/161032/43 "2003-03-14T14:18:53Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Sauron \*  
> \*\ ***EasyPhil** , either you’re incredibly stupid or you’re being wilfully ignorant. \*\*

Based on his posting history I would say both. Post here long enough and a few people just get lumped into the “asshole” folder. Never doing enough to get banned, nor ever enough to contribute.

Often you will see them starting some whiny Pit about a Mod or another respected poster and have it blow-up in their face. They then either: (a) ignore the thread or posts, (b) launch even more delusional attacks, © claim they are being discriminated against (even if their own post was racist/sexistor homophobic) (d) declare themselves the “winner”, (e) bitterly claim the Clique is ganging up on them, or (f) meltdown and get Banned.

So far we have mostly (a) and (b), and a dose of ©.

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