A common alt-right and broader conservative narrative is that so-called social-justice warriors (SJWs) don’t care about reason or facts and simply want to dominate by any means necessary and/or throw temper tantrums about their feelings. As this story goes, attempt to debate or even question a SJW about anything and they’ll tell you to sit down and shut up because you’re a white man and it’s all your fault. Or they’ll call you a Nazi or misogynist or whatever, regardless of what you say. To SJWs, language exists solely as way to virtue signal to the ingroup, express emotions, and badger opponents into submission.

This discourse ain’t strictly wrong. The described exchanges do take place. Some of the people lumped under the term “SJW” immediately resort to identity-based personal attacks without even bothering to make an argument. Some of them hurl all manner of illogical claims at anyone they perceive as an ideological enemy and/or a member of an oppressor/privileged social identity.

People who value reason rightfully take offense to this behavior.

With that acknowledged, remember that the above dynamics precede and exceed the SJW community. Members of most any group will strike back with anything at hand when they detect an attack. As an example, the standard alt-right response to debate, question, or critique is to hurl charge insults like “cuck” at apparent opponents.

Ingroup good! Outgroup bad!

That’s how a lot of humans roll, at least a portion of the time. It’s an established pattern of thought.

The fact some SJWs can’t or won’t make a compelling argument some of the time doesn’t discredit the underlying analyses. People can be right about the big picture without being able to effectively articulate it. Legitimate grievances can make people too angry to care about clear thinking. Perhaps that stereotypical rage against white men ain’t just coming from nowhere.

So yeah, SJWs are terrible, but not uniquely so. Don’t let SJW failings lead you into the arms of a group that cares less still about reason and logic.