Not much pondering necessary. You've answered your own question. It's because the vast majority of all the personal attacks on this forum have come from posters who've run out of debate issues because of facts or personal knowledge or the ability to control their emotions.

As you know I've been posting on this forum for a long time. All controversy involving me has begun with a poster attacking me personally because they weren't capable, for whatever reason, of disputing whatever point I was making. I've never initiated an episode by directly attacking a poster. I may have bashed an idea of theirs, but not them personally. I may respond to a personal attack once it's launched, but not with gratuitous vitriol.

Why some get so personally invested in what they've posted that they cannot stomach deviation and objection to their ideas is beyond me. Then there are those who hate what someone says against a public figure that they admire so much that they cannot control their anger. The personal and often slanderous attacks then begin against the poster who said these things they didn't like.

The fact is that I have never in all the time I've posted on this forum received as much as a warning. That tells you all you need to know.