Most people who complain and fight about stuff online also complain about things in the real world. Next time you read a toxic comment on twitter or a complaint about a flight delay, traffic, San Francisco, click on the complainer’s profile and read their other tweets. Most of the time they are bitching about everything else as well: A buggy product work, politics, other people. 

The other day I overheard someone at the park complaining about another parent’s kids. The person was being entirely over the top, dropping f-bombs, basically a complete wanker. A couple of days later, I saw the same person in the grocery store complaining about some mundane thing while the sales clerk nodded patiently. I felt like going over and saying that this it was he’s always like. For some people complaining and fighting is their default operating system. 

Mute these people on twitter and ignore them in real life. Their bark is worse than their bite, but it’s still not worth your time and energy. Their anger usually is covering up for sadness and trauma, but let them unpack that stuff with their therapist or their mother.

Move one and hang out with positive people.