Learn how to handle the trolls – take a moment to train yourself on what it takes to shut down the most common trolling and online bullying efforts with this quick guide to:
Handling Bad-Faith Arguments and Trolling
When right-wing posters engage in bad-faith arguments, their goal is not to discuss the issue sincerely but rather to badger, belittle, or instigate an emotional response. In these cases, you are not responding for their sake—you are responding for the audience reading the exchange. The objective is to call out their behavior, make their bad faith obvious to others, and humiliate them in a way that discourages further trolling.
1. When someone dismisses every point with mockery or ridicule instead of engaging in discussion.
Summary:
Trolls often refuse to engage in good faith, choosing instead to mock, laugh, or belittle anyone who supports the strike.
Respond with:
- “You seem way more interested in mocking than actually discussing the issue. Why do you think that is?”
- “I notice you’re avoiding the actual topic and just resorting to mockery. Is that because you don’t have an actual argument?”
- “If the strike is so ridiculous, why are you spending so much time obsessing over it? Are you hoping for some kind of reaction?”
Notes:
The key here is to point out the behavior and make them self-conscious about it. By doing so, you make them look unserious and weak to those reading.
2. When they resort to name-calling or childish insults.
Summary:
Personal attacks are a sign they have no real argument. Instead of taking the bait, expose their pettiness.
Respond with:
- “Ah, we’ve reached the part where you resort to childish insults. That usually happens when someone runs out of actual points.”
- “Imagine being a grown adult and thinking that name-calling wins an argument. That’s embarrassing.”
- “You’re not even trying to argue anymore, just throwing insults like a kid on the playground. Are you okay?”
Notes:
This method makes the attacker look foolish without engaging in name-calling yourself.
3. When they repeat the same debunked argument over and over.
Summary:
Some bad-faith posters will ignore responses entirely and just repeat their false claims, trying to exhaust you.
Respond with:
- “You’ve repeated the same thing several times now, even after it’s been addressed. Do you think saying it more will make it true?”
- “You’re just copy-pasting the same argument without engaging with any responses. That’s lazy. Try harder.”
- “At this point, it’s clear you’re not actually here to discuss anything, just to spam. Is this fun for you?”
Notes:
Calling out their repetition and laziness makes them look weak and unserious to the audience.
4. When they try to play victim after being called out.
Summary:
After being exposed, trolls will often claim they are being “attacked” or that the “left can’t handle different opinions.”
Respond with:
- “So, you came here to provoke people, got called out, and now you’re pretending to be the victim? That’s pathetic.”
- “You wanted to instigate, but now you’re upset when people push back? What did you think was going to happen?”
- “Funny how ‘free speech’ only matters until someone calls you out. If you don’t like being exposed, maybe don’t start bad-faith arguments.”
Notes:
This keeps the focus on their behavior while showing they were the ones being aggressive first.
5. When they try to derail the conversation with an unrelated point.
Summary:
A classic bad-faith tactic is to bring up an unrelated issue (e.g., crime rates, Biden, or some conspiracy theory) to derail the discussion.
Respond with:
- “Nice try changing the subject. We were talking about worker rights—why are you suddenly running away from that?”
- “You jumped to a completely different topic. Is that because you can’t actually defend your argument?”
- “You know the discussion isn’t about that, but you brought it up anyway. Why do you think that is?”
Notes:
Forcing them to stay on topic makes it clear that they are trying to deflect, which weakens their position.
Final Strategy: The ‘Turn it Back on Them’ Move
If a troll persists in bad-faith engagement, the best move is to flip the conversation on them and make their behavior the topic. They are expecting you to argue on their terms—deny them that.
Examples:
- “I’m actually curious—why does this issue make you so angry? Do you have some personal stake, or do you just enjoy attacking workers?”
- “You seem really invested in trying to provoke people. Is everything okay in your life?”
- “Out of all the things happening in the world, this is what gets you upset? That’s weird.”
- “I’ve noticed you keep coming back to this thread. It’s like you want to be mad. Why do you think that is?”
Why This Works:
- It forces the troll to either acknowledge their behavior or ignore it (which makes them look weak).
- It makes them self-conscious about how they appear to others.
- It turns the audience against them, making them look ridiculous.
Final Notes:
- The goal is not to “win” the argument. The goal is to expose bad-faith behavior so others see it for what it is.
- Never match their level of hostility. Make them look like the irrational one while you stay in control.
- Repeat and reword as needed. Trolls don’t actually want a conversation—so make them regret engaging.