The first category is made up of passive readers—those who read a post and simply scroll past without leaving a comment, reaction, or opinion. They consume your words quietly, without fuss or fanfare. These neither help nor hurt; they’re just there.

The second category is far more engaging. These are people who read with open minds—reasonable, analytical, and genuinely interested in the discussion. They respond to posts dispassionately, weighing arguments on their merit rather than emotion. Interactions with them can be enriching, even when you disagree. I enjoy their contributions and often take the time to respond to their comments in the same measured tone they extend.

Then comes the third category—the group that can test the patience of even the most composed writer. I call them the ignorant, the weird, and sometimes even the outright screwy. They are either stupid or just being deliberately obtuse. Some of them are people who have grown up physically too fast, but mentally too slow.

This third category comes in many shades. Some are simply uninformed, unable to follow the direction of an argument due to limited knowledge—or, in some cases, sheer intellectual laziness. Others style themselves as activists, but they’re merely pale imitations of the real deal. They watch genuine activists at work and try to mimic their style without the depth, intellect, or clarity of the originals. The result? They become like zombies—mindlessly opposing whatever you write, no matter how logical, well-reasoned, or factually supported your position is.

And then there are the ones consumed by hatred—hatred for you as a writer, for the subject you’re writing about, or sometimes for both. With them, the argument is never about facts, ideas, or perspectives. It’s personal. They will disagree with you not because you are wrong, but because they have decided they must.

With this third category, I have one guiding principle: do not engage. The worst of them don’t just get silence from me—they get blocked. Yes, without the slightest hesitation and without any qualms. Blocking them is not pettiness; it’s self-preservation. Some people are simply not worth the mental bandwidth.

At the end of the day, I’ve learned that my energy is best spent appealing to the first two categories—the quiet readers and the reasonable discussants. The third group? Hopelessly irredeemable. The sooner you remove them from your space, the better your peace of mind will be.