Toxic Compassion and Short Term Emotional Comfort in Online Firing Squads

The issue discussed is the toxic compassion and short-term emotional comfort prioritization in online communities, leading to a circular purity spiral. This toxic compassion prioritizes the immediate emotional comfort of dispossessed groups over truth and long-term flourishing. Examples include avoiding discussing the impact of body weight on health to prevent discomfort and asserting that there are no benefits to children growing up in a two-parent household to avoid stigmatizing single mothers. This toxic compassion phenomenon hinders rationality, overlooks long-term outcomes, and promotes performative empathy for short-term satisfaction, particularly accentuated online due to its memetically driven nature.