Good thread, 2Fly.

I forget who said it but there's a quote that goes something like: The hallmark of intelligence is measured by how closely you agree with me.

For any number of reasons, 'hater' has become the catch-all term for disagreement with one's own opinions and/or beliefs. It's a simplistic bludgeon some folks use to say 'You're wrong. I'm not. And I refuse to discuss any other interpretation.'

'Hater' is used in an attempt to shame someone into agreement.
'Your opinion has no value because it does not coincide with mine,' and then BONK! Someone gets hit over the head with a label.

I think that maybe 'Hater' is code for 'I'm intolerant.'

I can speak my mind while being sassy and often borderline belligerent..but that's just me

Me too! Takes talent lol

Maybe we need to coin a new term fo ya? How 'bout Hemi-Hater? Pseudo-Hater? Half-a-Hater? Hmmm, gotta kick this around some...

I always thought ballbuster has a nice ring to it

Can we use racial profiling terms in this thread? Socio econmic terms too?

everyone carries baggage ya know?
and there are certain topics that can push buttons big time
I am all for a discussion and some of them are really interesting
that being said

when someone gets those buttons pushed
and gets hot under collar
and goes from voicing and opinion on a topic
to insulting someone and name calling
well it's best to just walk away when that happens

I value your opinion as long as its the same as mine..lol

Can you imagine how interesting and wonderful the world would be if everyone was like me?

Would the world be a better place if everyone was like you?

To me the whole hater term comes off kind of juvenile as in if you don't agree with me I have to call you a name. I am and individual and tend to take most on the same basis. More likely to judge you being in my life by how you conduct yourself in relations to how you can co-exist in the world. I am not real fond of "users" that exploit others from their own obvious selfish world view.

I have seen people who hate others for no serious reason except they remind them of one or so individuals they did not like so the hang the whole group by association. To me that is ignorant at best and dangerous at worst.

Granted if you can't learn a little reservation from what ever life experiences you have then I figure you are untrainable but over generalization is pretty failed thinking in my books.

But some premises just don't hold water if you look at them very closely. You start judging people by their race, gender, age, or basic factors they have little control over that would seem to put the offending party in the "hater" category.

All that said I really find people who want to be catered to, repatriated to, given some protected status they don't really need to level the playing field with everyone else get on my last nerve. What I have seen is when you try to even the score because of "past" sins all you do is make the resentment towards the people with special protections way worse.

My view is it is a tough world deal with it.

I must be a hater. I hate when people cant pay their rent. I don't care what color they are. Somehow it's my fault. I guess cause I'm the landlord.

Hater!

Disagreeing with someone on topics is healthy and at times some of the points can ( and do) get sharp depending on the subject matter.

Personally I don't have a problem with that... at all. I would much rather deal with someone who is speaking their mind and disagreeing with my opinion as opposed to someone who "will go with the flow" or constantly be PC.". I may not agree with them.. but I will respect them for being honest and standing for what they believe.

Even when you disagree with someone.. it throws another dimension into your mind.. their opinion.. and that broadens your understanding of people, in general.. which is very health

On a rare occasion I have seen posts where in my opinion the person was hateful, but usually that seemed to be due to some personal experience they went thru or were going thru

Whenever the person hearing your opinion wants it to.

It's a term of subjective value.

I have observed three basic categories of the usage of the term "hater."

1. in "street" usage, which is where it's most common, "hater" is used, often very sloppily, simply to refer to someone who is upset about something. It doesn't matter whether they are actually angry or depressed, or even just speaking in serious tones, when the subject matter is assumed to be humorous.

2. in casual debates, it is often used as a trick. I think that's what this thread is most focused on. The trick, is a variation on what people have been doing for as long as I've been aware, to 'win" arguments with word games. They accuse someone of being a "hater" simply to put them off. In the 1970's, before "hater" became so popular, the favored accusation was some variety of "you're just prejudiced."

3. then there's my own personal definition, specifically for online forums.

For me, there are three main fakers who infest online forums.

a) Trolls. These are essentially psychotic people who get a thrill from yanking other peoples' chains, by posting crap they don't care about at all, and phrase it in a way designed to get other people riled up. They are genuinely mentally ill. they get the giggles every time someone gets mad at their fake profile.

b) Anti- people. These are the ones who gain their sense of self-worth from the fact that they are blindly and completely opposed to some group or some idea, or some thing. They are not quite mentally ill, they are closer to being mentally stuck in the childhood stage, where they think that saying "oooh! he's a poopy head!" is a brilliant and insightful commentary on the subtleties of human existence.

c) Haters. They are also mentally ill. They aren't seeking others' approval, like the Anti- people are. They hate for the sake of how it feels to hate. They confuse hating with confidence and think it is an actual accomplishment that they hate so deeply.

Absolutely.

There are a number of thought-provoking, considerate, just plain talented debaters, here. And I run into more every day. This is a pretty sharp group of critters.

personally, its about context

If I ask someone , do you like tyler perry?

and they answer 'Im no fan of his genre of movie' that is just an opinion that directly answers the question

if they answer ' I dont understand why he makes so much money, he doesnt have any talent'

that is a personal attack coming from what seems to me hate for someone elses success,,,thats 'hating'