most of the people you'll be fighting with/collecting dopamine hits for "defeating" are going to be doing even less than that. Which puts you in a spot where you begin to feel like the smartest person in whatever thread you're in. Expecting all criticism to follow the same form.

Imo I think a lot of it is subconcious too. Like, it's still emotionally draining and traumatising to be exposed to weaponized ignorance and ambient emotional hostility on a regular basis. Let alone to draw your ego from it. Over time that's gonna warp you too.