Why do I read things that make me upset?

[Xexyz]

So, today while I was perusing another gaming forum a popular topic for argument had a new thread.  This particular thread is centered around a debate that has been argued many times on that forum, so the likelihood of any new arguments being presented was very slim.  Furthermore, the side that argues the position I disagree with is pretty stubborn about it with lots of assumptions and fallacies; simply put most of their arguments annoy the hell out of me.  Nothing I could say will get them to change their minds, either.  Yet, despite knowing all of this going in, I read the thread anyway.  Why do I do this?  It's the same thing with when I decide to read the comments section of an article on Yahoo or HuffPost.  I'm going to read stuff that's just going to make me mad, but I do it anyway.  Maybe I just enjoy being angry?  

Anyone else have this compulsion?  And if so why do you think that is?

[Enail]

I've heard it said before that people do enjoy being angry in that way, there's a sort of a rush you get from outrage and affirming how terrible other people are. And I do sometimes do it too, but I don't last for very long before I start feeling unsatisfyingly angry rather than self-righteous or whatever that feeling is.

[bomaye]

I do it if I want to fight, because I'm right, and they're wrong, and if I pummel them with my righteous wordfists and chomp them with my biting teethwit enough, they'll realize it.

[Hirundo Bos]

And I do it to get to the bottom of – not the topic, but the conflict. Find out how it started, find that post or incident everybody's referring obliquely to... If it had been less compulsive, I'd say it was some sort of curiosity, and I guess partly it is, but I think it's also to find out what mistake someone made, because I'm afraid i might do the same thing myself.

[Sponsored content]