People reflect on others what they actually feel about themselves.
Could you imagine Tony Robbins coming on the forum and criticise people, perception is projection.

I hadn't thought of that Nigee. It makes sense.

So that means you are "so narcissistic you can't except being wrong or have anyone else disagree with you. It is the last resort of your immature intellect"

It also seems like frustration plays a role in someone resorting to character assassanition. An inability to deal with normal emotions might be a factor too.

The anonomity of the internet allows people to express thir pent up frustration and aggression without being risking being punched on the nose.

I find it strange too. I once read about a self-confessed troll, a bored housewife and mother, who was an active member of parenting forum who deliberately posted lies about another member and even created a webpage dedicated to this persons character assasination. She new it was anti-social and bullying, but she said for reasons she did not quite understand she found it deeply satisfying. The more her victim became upset the happier it made her feel. Very odd.

Wow spyman, That was disturbing to read. What do they call a mental disorder where you get satisfaction from the pain of others? That housewife seems to have had that disorder in spades.
Character assassination is so easy to avoid though. You can substitute debate or argument for it. You can simply refuse to insult the others person out of basic decency as well.
The anonymity of the web makes sense. I can't imagine people saying in person what they post. It also shows a sense of cowardice I think because if you think it when you are looking someone in the eye, and you can't say it that is a form of cowardice in many situtations. So character assassination in an anonymous forum is a form of cowardice?

Welcome to the Internet. It's like road rage on steroids.

this is coming from E-mac whos idea of an argument is postiing 16 questions and when the person answers 13 and quits because of exhaustion he claims victory.

Also the same Emac who claimed that a powered down cell phone could stonewall a police investigation.

I am also superior to all those judgemental hippocrets on the internets.

but I'm sure hes a nice guy, I'm just saying if you want people to keep their head, don't argue like an ass hole

BTW the korrect speling is "soooooperior"

Just say no to character assassination. It's simple, but it takes discipline and commitment.

A line of reasonsing that insinuates that an individual who resorts to character assassination can excuse and justify that type of loss of personal control and composure by blaming the actions of others seems like a point of view that a young person who isn't yet fully emotionally developed would fall back on.

Mapleleaf, Emac clearly uses a spell-checker which can "except being wrong". But you and Fiedler write more imaginatively. Bravo!

In response to the original question, I think most people are basically insecure. One way to overcome this is to convince yourself that others are less 'whatever' than you. Less intelligent, less talented, less beautiful, less gifted in the art of Diplomacy, whatever.
However, having said that, character assassination is a step beyond. That's when you project those feelings onto others (as Nigee said above). Then it becomes destructive.

"an immature intellect" Need some kind of definition of this term.
Don't really think maturity of any kind has a lot to do with it. I've met some old, intelligent, really fucked-up, vicious bastards in my time.

Emac, it's not a mental disorder, but deriving pleasure from the pain of others can be considered either schadenfreude or sadism (if you are the one causing the pain). Anyway, ad hominem arguments often arise out of others' insecurity in the logic of their other arguments.

Depends on the context. Sometimes there is much to gain. In politics, war and love, character assassination works wonders.

Remind me of a larp i played way back when, getting rid of characters often came up, and the popular solution was 'kill the player, kill the character' ...

You can use spell checker on forum posts?
Timur, an immature intellect is one that isn't fully deveoloped yet, like a child's. Age isn't the key there, it's development. I roared when I read your description of some of the challenged seniors you've met! Character assasination and love seem to be incompatible Zmaj. Sadism is not a disorder Mario? Is it just a condition then?

The fact that webdip has usernames instead of real names gives people something to hide behind. You're not attacking a person, just an electronic avatar of a real person. Likewise, you're not the one personally attacking somebody; rather, your electronic, anonymous identity is tearing that multi a new asshole. You get the joy of anonymously bashing somebody who is wrong online, and you can sleep at night because you're not actually confronting a real person.

If I have students working together in an online forum or discussion board, my requirement is that usernames are always their real name. I feel like it takes away any incentive to make anonymous attacks on other users and encourages honesty because any and all comments can be easily attributed to a real person.

If you're referring to its use in elections, a very popular myth is that we don't need someone of character in office. If an ass tries to pass a bill, not only will he have more trouble rallying support, but his impersonal traits will entrench an opposition that may not be opposed to the policy itself.
Now consider the president. The executive branch not only has domestic responsibilities, but must concern themselves very deeply in diplomatic issues. Imagine Donald Trump as a diplomat. Its not a pretty picture.

It used to be a disorder, Emac (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadistic_personality_disorder). Now, I'd consider it a personality trait in certain individuals. It's no more a condition in my eyes than is introversion.

Ultimately Character Assassination just seems like the only think left to someone with a refuted point or a failed argument.

Just a thought. Is there such a thing as Character Suicide?

Ask Diplomat1824.