periodically i think about this one time an anti-vaxxer mom found out her kid had been vaccinated by her mom and husband in secret and was really afraid, and twitter mobs punished this mom with bad information for being afraid by absolutely crushing her with abuse.

Yes, she was incorrect. But she had like eighty followers and was just...asking to be reassured that her kid would be okay.

She needed good information, not insults and threats. She needed compassion and recognition, not torrents of abuse.

It was an opportunity to bring someone back to the side of facts and instead all we did was justify her isolation.

anyway, it's really hung in my head as the canonical example of choosing needless and unproductive cruelty in the service of being correct.