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Outside of actually changing someone's mind, which never happens, trolling is the most satisfying of all debating tactics. The word “troll” has a bad connotation, people who call names or post nonsense to disrupt a debate, but if trolling is done properly, no one even knows they were trolled. The word comes from fishing, hanging a line with a piece of juicy bait, off the back of the boat then puttering around trying to hook a fish. Crude trolls are obviously trying to start trouble, but an Epic Troll can actually make a point; people will engage with an Epic Troll honestly because they don’t seem adversarial.
To pull it off, the Epic Troll cannot leave character; they must appear to be sincere at all times, insidiously peppering the debate with truth that the other side doesn't like to admit, or has never considered. A well-crafted troll is more convincing than a straight-forward argument because there's no rubbing against ego & spite; you appear to be on their side; trolling is a way to bring epiphany to otherwise insightful people. You know you've won when no one responds any longer, even though no anger was present.
By Martin Hash4.2
99 ratings
Outside of actually changing someone's mind, which never happens, trolling is the most satisfying of all debating tactics. The word “troll” has a bad connotation, people who call names or post nonsense to disrupt a debate, but if trolling is done properly, no one even knows they were trolled. The word comes from fishing, hanging a line with a piece of juicy bait, off the back of the boat then puttering around trying to hook a fish. Crude trolls are obviously trying to start trouble, but an Epic Troll can actually make a point; people will engage with an Epic Troll honestly because they don’t seem adversarial.
To pull it off, the Epic Troll cannot leave character; they must appear to be sincere at all times, insidiously peppering the debate with truth that the other side doesn't like to admit, or has never considered. A well-crafted troll is more convincing than a straight-forward argument because there's no rubbing against ego & spite; you appear to be on their side; trolling is a way to bring epiphany to otherwise insightful people. You know you've won when no one responds any longer, even though no anger was present.