What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Renathras]

All I will say is that while I'm always appreciative of people who speak up on my behalf, some people are walking, talking red flags and when they reveal themselves as such, it's better to walk away and let them get on with it than wrap yourself up in trying to engage with that sort of behaviour. They're beyond reason or understanding, they have their pre-set notions of the world and themselves, and you can't do much to change it. Sometimes the desire to explain yourself can be powerful, but trying to use logic where this none rarely leads anywhere productive, or worse, leaves you feeling tired or frustrated.

Yeah, fair enough. You're right in that I can't convince people beyond reason or understanding. It is just so frustrating when people slander you and a bunch of people seem to agree with them, so it pushes that strong impulse to defend and explain yourself. I've gotten to where I'll try once, if they continue, I'll try again, then I just try to not keep engaging. The problem is when someone else takes up that banner and several others join and lie about what just happened, so at that point I feel like I have to recap, explain why that person was wrong AND the series of posts that the latecomer seems to want to ignore (in this case, the insults).

On the one hand, I should probably just ignore all of it. But then if I never say anything in my defense or clarify my original posts being misinterpreted, then that slander hangs unchallenged in the air, which is also not really palatable.

Then again, even the most antagonistic posts against me only get ~15 likes or so, so maybe there are just 15 or so haters and no one else cares. I suppose I can take some comfort in that. But it's so exhausting when even a simple "I disagree" - or worse, like in the Zepla thread, where I literally said I agreed with her - leads to PAGES of attacks on me. That's not right nor healthy on the part of the bullies doing it.

But maybe you're right and such people are beyond reason. I'm more concerned with what other people who aren't them think, but I'm going to start limiting myself to one clarification reply and, if the person still refuses to see reason, moving on. I'm tired of being accused of saying something I didn't, posting "No, I said THIS and meant THIS, not that", only for the person to insist they can read my mind and I was saying what THEY think I said anyway. It's the worst form of putting words in someone's mouth when they continue to do it even after I've gone on the record to set said record straight that their initial interpretation was not correct or my own intent.

But yeah, your advice is good. Easier said than done, but sage.

*strokes beard* I would be very impressed if that were true given how difficult and demanding Seal training is. :P

That individual's attempt at ridicule aside, no, wasn't a SEAL.

Though them posting it is weird, since I don't recall making any claims about being in the Navy here (I may have mentioned military, but I tend not to be overly specific), but never my training pipeline. I think they're confusing me for someone else.

That said, my demanding training was...well, SEALs are a combination of physical and mental. My school as the most intellectually difficult in the Navy, I guess? Rather not say more - owing to the fact I know it will just lead to ridicule - but if you're curious, look up what big Navy school is in Charleston, South Carolina. Opposite coast from BUDS in Cali. Not The Citadel, the other one. Won't say any more than that.