I've noticed that if you dare to comment on something that is slightly emotionally charged then someone will mentally spin your initial comment into the worst, over the top version, of what you originally said and argue you based on that idea.
For example - "I prefer dogs to cats"
"WHY DO YOU HATE CATS?!?!?!?"
This is a silly version of something that happens on a regular basis.
A lot of the time I think that people are responding to the pain they feel from having their cognitive dissonance unwittingly flicked by the original comment. You write what you believe is an interesting assumption or observation and someone else takes umbrage, goes to defcon1 and nukes you before their emotional side can be overridden by their intellectual side. Nobody takes the time to think, "surely this other human being doesn't think this terrible thing. I'd better ask them to clarify". Nope.. it's straight to "SOMEONE IS INTENTIONALLY QUESTIONING MY ENTIRE REALITY IN 140 CHARACTERS.. KILL KILL KILL!"
As JB said - It's exhausting...
