It’s not that these groups are full of true liberals, it’s that much of the population isn’t tolerant of lies and misinformation. So it seems that “conservatives” are being targeted.
I've seen people be objectively correct but assholes with their delivery and get fucking blasted on here. Regardless of politics I'd youre a prick you get vibe checked.
I'm still unreasonably salty about getting bodied into negatives after pointing out that the fusion research coming out of the National Ignition Facility is just nuclear weapons research. That's what Laser Inertial Confinement is, it's a very contained implosion bomb. Their role in the nuclear stewardship program is the first thing in their damn "about me" page. Gah. I wasn't even (all that) rude about it, its just really hard for some people on here to accept that their understanding is flawed (myself very much included)
I'm a person who likes to learn. When I find out I was mistaken on an issue and why, I sometimes feel briefly embarrassed for being wrong, but in the end I appreciate knowing more and like to share the truth with others. I feel like I can approach people from a place of familiarity, empathy, and compassion and help them understand something they did not before.
I feel like there's a lot of people here who share that mindset, and when we see someone intentionally trying to manipulate others by knowingly spreading disinformation, the other, less-compassionate side of us shows up to the party.
Oh yeah. It's a temporary thing, but I wasn't going to pretend like it's not a thing and say I'm instantly excited when someone proves me wrong without any kind of hit to my ego.
We have instinctual emotional reactions and if we pretend we're 100% above them to the point they don't exist it makes it harder to empathize with others.