You’re allowed to be an asshole, but you’re coming off as a whiney asshole with no regard to other people.

I mean, do you walk into a McDonald’s and tell fatties that they’re wrong? No? Why not? Because people would be mad at you?

And yet when you do that online you somehow expect the results to be different and for people to stop telling you that you’re an asshole? Why? Just live your life, accept that people will think your an asshole for it, and move on.

You’re right about your responsibility.

I do like the idea of an online forum as a space for building community through respectful exchange of ideas, as opposed to antagonism that damages others or the community fabric.

Lemmy does benefit from maintaining some basic standards of civility and care for others. We all contribute to the emotional environment collective discussions create.

Wanted to add -

Imagine an all-volunteer orchestra where everyone is free to play their own tune. Even without a strict conductor, the orchestra members are aware that their individual performances affect the harmony of the entire group. If someone plays discordantly or off-key intentionally, they might not be solely responsible for how the audience feels about the music, but they do contribute to the overall experience.

When members of the orchestra (or posters on the fediverse) disregard the collective effort to create something enjoyable and cohesive, they risk being “downvoted” to the last chair, where their impact is lessened. However, their presence and performance can still affect the overall sound. So, while you can say what you want, your words are part of a larger community conversation and can influence the “melody” of the platform, for better or worse.

Sure, and your behaviour isn’t my problem either. So I just downvote you since you do not have anything important to say and move on. (except for this comment)