Why you gotta be a hater?

People can be mean to strangers. Me included. You should see the way I bring gas station attendants to tears when they give me the wrong change. OK, so that's not true. At all.

But I know that people feel more free sometimes to chew out the check-out lady than they would close friends. I get it. I was a psych major for a hot minute. I get human nature.

But sometimes, I just don't know why people can be so cruel. A friend of mine has this anonymous commenter on her blog who, instead of leaving "I think you're full of it" comments (like he or she most likely thinks), leaves "I think you're chubby, you have droopy eyes, you are NOT cute," (etc.) comments. Why? Just click "next blog" at the top if you hate it so much.

Why all the drama? I know anyone who has a blog is putting themselves out there for people to criticize. If you have a blog, you have to deal with that sort of thing. I get it. I'm OK with it. My feelings and self-worth don't rest on the words of some anonymous poster. But I don't get these people, and I want to know where they're coming from, is all.

Let's take a step back. Let's say I stumble upon some random blog, written by someone I don't know, and I stay for a while and read it, and hate it. Am I going to leave a message, telling them how I think they stink at life? Um. No. My momma didn't raise no jerk. I'm gonna go read some other blog, or go fold laundry, or watch a movie. I say my mean words outloud, and then they're out there, gone, no one hears them, and I go on with my life.

Who are these posters? And why do they come back? I would guess it was to direct traffic to their blog, but this person posts anonymously. The comments are turning personal, too. To all of us. Yup, this person hit 80 percent of recent graduates below the belt -- Anonymous actually said my friend had nothing to show for her life because my friend had to get a second job, on top of her day job, to support herself. "You're a college graduate with a bartending job -- yeah, real cool."

(Sidebar: This person is either rich, or is still in college and believes everything he or she hears from his or her guidance counselor. "The job market is picking up! You're going to get a job right out of college that pays $75,000!" Um, unless you're an engineer or a pharmacist, you just don't make that kind of money. Some of us never will. Get over yourself.)

I like comments on my blog; I can take it. I'm a big girl. She is, too. Her and my questioning of this person's motivations is more out of a curiousity than it is a result of a life-ruining or morale-crushing moment.

I'd love to hear Anonymous' inner dialogue: "I, Mr/Ms Joe/Jane Smith of Nowhere, USA, find this girl annoying and ugly. I should probably endow some of my worldy wisdom on her: 'Dear Blogger, You are ugly and worthless. Your life has no meaning. Sincerely, Mr/Ms Joe/Jane Smith.'"

I just don't get it. I can be mean like everyone else. Whoa, can I be mean. But that mean? No. I don't get it. Oh well. I'm over it. I wish Anonymous would be, too.