This is a real world case study based upon an interaction on my social media the other day. It highlights a couple things. First, the digital bravery mustered by many since the inception of social platforms. The freedom to cast opinions without fear of in-person interaction. Second, what may be on the surface most likely is not the real issue. There is something else underneath that is the real stimulant for the uneducated opinion casting based on assumptions. Lets dive in.
The other day I posted something simple online. It was about killing a snake. Not a trophy photo, not a flex, just a practical decision I made on our property. You see, we raise chickens, and snakes around here aren’t harmless garden garter types. Some of them kill. They get into coops, eat eggs, and kill baby chicks. If you’ve never had to explain to your son why a half-swallowed hen is laying limp in the dirt, then spare me the lecture.
Apparently, to some folks, doing what needs to be done makes you a villain. One man decided to drop into the comments and let his outrage fly. He didn’t ask a question. He didn’t seek clarity. He led with sarcasm, threw in a personal jab, and followed it with moral posturing about the sanctity of snakes.
This is what I call a textbook example of what passes for modern discourse: shallow, reactive, and blind to its own hypocrisy. And like any good student of human behavior, I let it unfold. I gave measured responses. I asked questions. I held the line. But in the end, it wasn’t a conversation. It was a temper tantrum in the shape of a comment thread.
Let me walk you through the anatomy of what happened, because it wasn’t just about snakes. This was about something bigger—a cultural rot that mistakes outrage for righteousness and confusion for depth.
Step 1: The Drive-By Commenter
“Hate to be the asshole, but maybe take a break from posting s**t until you come to terms with the harmless snakes you moved in on.”
That was his opener. Not, “Hey, what kind of snake was it?” or “Did you try to relocate it?” No curiosity. No humility. Just a sideways slap and the assumption that he knew everything he needed to know. That kind of comment tells you a lot about the man making it.
He didn’t want information. He wanted to feel morally superior. He wanted to punch down and puff up, and he assumed I wouldn’t punch back.
Step 2: The Response
I stayed calm. I thanked him for sharing. I asked a question: “Would you kill coyotes killing cattle?” I didn’t mock him. I didn’t attack. I tried to draw the conversation into the real world. But he wasn’t interested in that. Real world conversations require context. They require nuance. He was too busy playing philosopher-king in a comment box.
So I clarified: this isn’t about bloodlust or proving a point. It’s about stewardship. It’s about responsibility. And it’s about consequences. You can’t raise animals and ignore predators. You either protect your own, or you don’t deserve to have them.
Step 3: The Shift
Rather than take the chance to talk like men, he doubled down. He went full sarcasm. He referenced chickens again, tried to tie it all together like he was delivering some kind of mic-drop moment. And then he said it: “Don’t try to be deep.”
Let me pause right here. That sentence—”Don’t try to be deep”—is the anthem of the insecure. It’s the last resort of someone who can’t win on facts. It’s what people say when they’re out of intellectual ammo. You ever notice that? People mock depth when they have none.
In his mind, I was a threat. Not physically. Intellectually. Spiritually. Men like that crumble when confronted by another man who speaks plainly, stands firm, and doesn’t blink.
Step 4: Emotional Whiplash
As the thread went on, he swung between hostility and denial. One minute he was mocking, the next he claimed we “had spoke plenty” and he wasn’t angry. That’s what happens when you confront shallow aggression with calm truth. It creates whiplash.
He wasn’t prepared for someone to stand in the storm and not flinch. He expected retreat. Instead, he got a mirror held up to his face.
I pointed out the contradictions. I challenged the assumptions. And I stayed respectful, because that’s how men ought to talk—firmly, honestly, and with spine.
Step 5: The Final Flail
When the moral argument falls apart, and the intellectual one never stood a chance, all that’s left is name-calling. That’s where he landed.
“Don’t be a complete f**king asshole, Bryan.”
It was all he had left.
At that point, the conversation was over. I responded with what I call the verbal handshake of war: “Don’t start a game you can’t finish. Pretty shallow.”
And that was that.
What This Really Was
Now, I could leave it there. Chalk it up to another social media squabble. But this was more than that. This was a case study in modern masculinity—or the lack thereof. It was a clear picture of what happens when a man who’s never been tested tries to test another.
See, we live in a culture where performance has replaced principle. Where emotion trumps logic. Where feeling offended is treated as a badge of honor. But real manhood doesn’t operate like that.
Real men ask questions. They seek understanding. They protect their own, and they don’t apologize for making hard calls.
And when they disagree, they say so plainly, without mockery or pretense. They don’t throw stones and then play the victim when one gets tossed back.
Lessons for the Road
If you’re a man trying to walk upright in a sideways world, here are a few takeaways from this experience:
1. Don’t Let Emotional Children Set the Tone
When a man comes at you with sarcasm and projection, don’t mirror him. Stay grounded. Make him come up to your level—or let him flail alone.
2. Stay Curious, Not Combative
Even when you smell a fight, start with a question. If there’s truth to be found, it’ll surface. If it’s just noise, it’ll fade fast.
3. Own Your Responsibility
You don’t need to explain yourself to every critic, but you better be able to explain it to your conscience. If you’re in the right, walk in that truth with confidence.
4. Use Conflict as a Mirror
What did it show you? Where did you get tense? What assumptions did you make? Don’t waste a good conflict. Sharpen from it.
5. Don’t Apologize for Strength Used Rightly
There is a place for compassion. There is a time for mercy. But there is never a reason to be ashamed of protecting what’s yours.
Final Word
The internet is full of Adams. Men who posture, poke, and disappear. Men who speak before they listen. Who assume before they ask. Who confuse volume for truth.
But it’s also full of opportunity. Opportunities to model something different. To speak with clarity. To stand for reason. To lead with honor.
So next time someone comes after your character with shallow shots and false virtue, hold your ground. Speak truth. Ask questions. And if they keep swinging in the dark, let them.
Some men are just not ready for the light.
And as for the snake? He made his choice. I made mine.
End of story.
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