“Funny, with this post, you became the ranting guy to me. Why do I keep wasting my time reading this garbage?”

You, mister, have a website too, I see. (Not nearly as good as this one, but that’s not the point.) What do you think you’re doing by coming here just to criticize? That’s so low. I mean… so so low.

A feminist blog I occasionally read coined the term “Hate Reading” for when you just can’t stop reading even when it’s toxic. If you blog (or just talk a lot), it could give fodder, so it’s not like it’s inherently a bad idea. I can’t stop reading comments on blogs I frequent, and sometimes that is like one of the pits of hell. I had to block youtube comments.

I’m gonna go think about my offline life, and if there is anything too toxic there.

I’ve found the best solution is to just ‘hide’ the comments from the people who annoy you. I’d say to unfriend them but that can cause more drama than its worth. People can take heavy offense to being unfriended.

@ Snowy Heron: I get that some people are more serious than others. I’m not saying that all Trent’s posts need to read like late-night talk show monologues. But there is an underlying tone of heaviness that comes through so many of his posts, no matter what the subject is. Even his announcement about becoming debt free was surprisingly joyless. And I see little that would suggest the way he presents himself here is any different from how he is offline. We humans tend to be pretty consistent in our behavior.

I’ve heard Trent mentioned his battles with depression, I am not blaming him for that. I am, however, pointing out that his unhappiness influences his writing, and that writing affects my mood when I read it. But I do not place sole responsibility on him. Ultimately it is up to me to do as Trent says and cut the toxic irritants out of my life.

It’s strange that Trent has the willpower to turn his finances around but can’t just go cold turkey on crushing 2 bottles of pop in rapid succession.

Facebook Friend: Stop reading it and don’t get involved ie:..some of your friends don’t agree..this is childish. (If this problem extends beyond Facebook see below)

Critic: I’m tired of listening to you.. you have not given me one piece of good advice.. please shut your mouth,and refrain from ever speaking to me unless it is friendly and uplifting. .. Of your five this one is truly toxic and should not be tolerated AT ALL. Drop them like a hot potato if they can not refrain from putting you and your family down…friend or family.

Business: ALWAYS stop in to say hello to a friend if you have time, if you need something but it, if not don’t. True friendship is not about buying things to support the friendship. If you stopped by his house to say hello he wouldn’t expect you to support him by cutting his grass or cleaning his house. Just welcome the friendship.

Several years ago, I got a lot out of this site. Now, I get more out of the comments.

Simply put, my time might be better spent elsewhere on activities that provide me more of a benefit and make a better use of my time and mental energy.

And yet, I come back anyway.

The other three examples of toxicity are a bt strange in that they are not harmful in and of themselves. If drinking a soda or playing a game screws around with your sense of well-being, don’t drink the soda and don’t play the game. And calling a store toxic because you feel some weird inner compulsion to buy something there is truly bizarre.