I've been thinking about why this sentiment, and the way it's presented, bothers me, and I think I've finally figured it out. Thing is, there are always going to be people willing to put you down for having an opinion opposing theirs. Their way is called "being an asshole", and as prevailing as it may appear to be, it isn't nowhere near limited to the Internet or Reddit. This doesn't make the interactions somehow toxic in themselves - it just means that you have to avoid the assholes, live or online. Same goes for the "widespread opinion" part. Nobody's can force you to think and consider: you must be willing to do so. Reddit or Hubski; Internet or real life.Because the hive mind is real
Agreed. In some ways hive mind mentality is exaggerated on Reddit (and, perhaps to a smaller extent, on Hubski) because of the voting mechanisms, but it definitely exists everywhere. The kinds of opinions/statements that are likely to go over well are always dictated by the people around you and their views. This is true online and offline alike.