I’m just middle aged and lost all energy for unproductive discussions. The second another poster posts something genuinely hostile, like “touch grass” kinda shit, I’m just done talking. Also if we’re six comments in and the other guy won’t even admit to being wrong to the thing he said on comment one, despite me doing twenty minutes of research to prove conclusively that he’s wrong, I don’t want to waste another second of my life on him.
I gotta have 10% of the “disengage” comments on this site.
I like asking a questipn and then posting “disengage” when i get an answer
Its funy
You’re not getting paid for this. You’re not even a volunteer. You’re doing this (presumably) for recreational purposes–because it makes you feel good. You don’t owe anyone anything. Disengage when you’re not getting what you want out of it.
ENGAGEI don’t get why people say “disengage”. Why not just stop responding and ignore the thread?
Without naming names, I’ve got in arguments with some users who will just keep coming back and posting more replies after you stop responding. Sometimes for days, in one case, weeks.
I also think there’s some value in actively signalling that the conversation was actually really sucky and you hated it. Helps steer people in nicer directions, I’d argue.
I also think there’s some value in actively signalling that the conversation was actually really sucky and you hated it.
NGL I’m guilty of this
broke: disengage
woke: just blocking them
bespoke: blocking them after writing your 10 paragraph reply, getting fully around the ‘disengage = getting the last word in spell’ issue and never having to think about the other user again
Think of it like real life. You’re at party having a discussion with somebody that turns into an argument. If the person you’re talking to is an asshole - there’s no point in talking so why keep talking? Just walk away.
Nope. Never too early, if you know you’re dealing with some peckerwood smuggard what won’t be turfed out, it’s easier to just shut their shit down from the jump. “No, I’m not interested in discoursing with you, go away.”
I don’t think there is ever a wrong time to disengage from a situation. You don’t owe anybody the time and mental energy it takes to continue the discussion at that point. Especially on the internet, where there shouldn’t be an expectation that the other party is ever coming back to the discussion, just close the tab and move on.
I think the only time I’d raise an eyebrow would be if the disengage was the first reply to a comment (three comments total: yours, the reply to your comment, then your reply containing “disengage”).
so i kinda ended up vomiting some personal stuff here so uh just a heads up
i used to be kind of a huge dickhead. i mean, i’ve got a bunch of Brain Problems & I think my egg was starting to crack, so i ended up having this stupid reactionary phase that just feels super surreal when i think about it. but i think about it a lot, because my favourite pastime was yelling at strangers online. i was actively feeding my anger because it was basically the only thing i had. i think about it a lot, because i must remember that i had completely lost track for a while there. & now my brother is going through the same thing, except it’s far worse because of the post truth bullshit. his
are only getting worse. like, what am i supposed to say if someone says it’s a proven fact that women have never been treated as lesser BUT ALSO that women only have rights because men gave it to them 
sorry. this is kind of a long ramble. but the point is, all this stuff has kinda led me to taking a more passive role in my interactions. i disengage & block v often because my being upset is a full body experience. i know i need to curate my media consumption with my mental wellbeing in mind, so even if a comment is pissing me off because i 200% know they’re full of shit, i just move on, because it doesn’t matter what i say to a person whose worldview is all vibes / projection. they see themselves as the Good & Reasonable People, so naturally anything that challenges their views sets them off. they’re just not playing by the same rules at all & i’d rather use my energy on something constructive instead. there must be millions of people like i used to be & i gotta understand that not all of them can be helped.
i’m just so fucking tired.
reminding everyone that the disengage rule was made before blocking worked. Be generous with your comm and user blocks, life is short.
I wish blocking worked better, you can still see when blocked users have replied. And blocked users can still see and comment on your posts all the same, doesn’t feel nice.
And blocked users can still see and comment on your posts all the same, doesn’t feel nice.
As long as you don’t actually see the comments, I would say this is a good thing because you can see the loser coping and seething at your comments while you’ve long since moved on with your life.
You can’t see the comments directly, but you will see “x more replies” which means a blocked user replied. Which is very annoying.
Life is short. I can’t imagine you being on your deathbed lamenting the fact that you routinely refused to go 12+ comments deep with someone who was being obstinate and arguing like its bloodsport.
You have a right to reclaim your peace.
Not gonna read the post, it’s never to early to disengage.
Furthermore, a comment that only says “disengage” is not having the final word because it isn’t part of the argument.
(points at seagull) “DISENGAGE!”
IMO the only thing Internet discussion is good for is sharpening your arguments for yourself. As a general rule I don’t reply to replies from shit I said yesterday ever, and if I am in it with someone I’m only doing it because I want to see how my own thinking will get poked at by someone else. Sometimes even libs can poke a hole in my argument that makes me stop, think, and read more on a topic - but usually not, so if I’m not getting anything more out of a thread I just disengage myself from it.
