There’s a strange phenomenon that plays out every day on the internet, in comment sections, in group chats, and even in real life:
The less right a person is, the louder they seem to get.
At first glance, it doesn’t make sense.
Why would someone double down on a point that is clearly incorrect?
Why raise the volume when the facts are whispering a different story?
The answer is simple, but uncomfortable:
People don’t get loud because they’re confident.
They get loud because they’re threatened.
1. Being wrong feels like an attack on identity.
Most people don’t separate what they think from who they are.
So when their beliefs are challenged, they experience it emotionally, not logically.
To them, correction feels like:
- “You’re incompetent.”
- “You’re not smart.”
- “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Even if you never said those words.
So instead of pausing to consider the information, they defend themselves like they’re under siege … because emotionally, they are.
2. Loudness becomes a shield.
Once ego kicks in, the goal is no longer truth.
It’s self-preservation.
Raising the volume, whether through CAPS LOCK, sarcasm, mockery, or hostility, serves a purpose:
- It intimidates conversation.
- It distracts from their weak point.
- It creates the illusion of certainty.
- It pushes the spotlight onto you instead of their error.
It’s a strategy, even if unconscious.
3. Certainty is intoxicating … even when it’s wrong.
Being right feels good.
It feels stable, grounding, empowering.
But being uncertain?
Being wrong?
Being corrected?
That hits the ego like cold water to the face.
So instead of adjusting their understanding, people cling to whatever belief makes them feel certain in the moment, even if the belief is objectively false.
This is why misinformation spreads faster than truth:
Emotion travels quicker than logic.
4. Social validation fuels the noise.
Online, there’s always an audience.
A crowd.
A “side” to have.
People get louder when they sense others will cheer them on, or when they think they’re scoring points in a public arena.
It becomes less about the content and more about performance.
And once they’ve performed loudly and boldly, backing down feels humiliating. So they escalate instead.
5. Silence feels like defeat to the insecure.
Many people fear silence in an argument because it feels like losing.
They’d rather fill the space with noise than sit with uncertainty or vulnerability.
But here’s the truth:
Silence is not defeat.
It is discipline.
Silence is choosing peace over performance.
Clarity over chaos.
Self-regulation over ego battles.
That’s why the loudest voice is rarely the most correct. It’s just the most reactive.
The wisdom is knowing when not to engage.
You can’t argue someone out of insecurity.
You can’t logic someone out of ego.
You can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into.
So now, when I see online comment sections overflowing with loud confidence and low comprehension, I simply observe.
I don’t enter.
I don’t correct.
I don’t argue with the bricks of the wall.
It’s the same even in work spaces, family spaces, and social spaces. I overhear. I listen. But I keep my thoughts to myself. Let them argue. That’s their right. That’s their business.
Because some people aren’t looking for truth. They’re looking for affirmation.
And some arguments aren’t meant to be won. They’re meant to be avoided.
My Voice Unchained 