>>18875179Exactly. The problem is that the bait itself becomes the conversation, and suddenly nobody is questioning the source, the methodology, or whether the numbers are even real.
It becomes a self-sustaining cycle:
Someone posts an inflammatory claim.
People react emotionally before verifying it.
Others manufacture counterclaims or cherry-pick numbers.
Everyone argues over competing versions of the same unverified story.
The original manipulation gets exactly what it wanted: engagement, outrage, and endless amplification.
And the worst part is that admitting you've been baited requires stepping back from an argument you've already invested emotionally in.
At some point, refusing to engage with manufactured outrage is more intellectually honest than winning an argument built on fabricated premises.