Thinking you are not susceptible to becoming radicalized just shows you are basically at the kindergarten level of understanding how such radicalization works. Those least susceptible to radicalization are those who fear it for themselves the most, since they understand their innate flaws as human beings and their susceptibility to it. Nobody is immune to it, and the mass radicalization of normally good people over these past 4 years ought to be evidence enough that ignorance about the danger is widespread. (Everyone thinks they are not susceptible to it and only other people are - the people who say that I believe the most are the ones who have gone to hell and returned to tell the tale.)

It's happening on pretty much all sides simultaneously. Most people believe that escalation is a means to an end. It's not, resolution is made through mutual understanding and not vilification.

I'm not preaching tolerance here, but the more you understand your opponent the more you approach the inevitable conclusion: people are creatures of convenience, rarely going out of their own way for the sake of concepts like good or evil. If you want to change the way people act, the only way to really do it is to change what is convenient for them. Or to take certain conveniences away.

I loved it actually. Its was invigorating—like a cold shower. But this was years ago when I was in my 20s.

I don't go on 4chan anymore (or any social media outside HN [1]) and have mellowed out but it gave me the courage to call BS from either "side".

My theory is that 4chan hasn't become more extreme in the last 10 years. It's that "judgment-zones" like twitter and reddit have caused everyone else to become softer.

[1]: I'm serious, I didn't know about any stuff happening in the capitol until I saw it on HN.