They may say they hate you and they may start polls but that doesn't indicate a clique, it indicates that people are alike in what they find annoying.
As usual, SP, you find a way to sum it up in a diplomatic manner. I don't find mem's polls to be annoying because if I'm not interested and I don't have something nice to say, I don't post. There are those who do like mem's threads, but I wouldn't call them a clique, so I wouldn't call those who are annoyed a clique. That being said, however.....
I don't know if I would use the word clique, but there are some who have gotten in the habit of jumping on Mem, and others follow the lead. They would certainly appear as a clique to the person being so treated. I am not as quick at noticing behaviour patterns as some.
....I do agree with kalipygian. I wouldn't say it's a clique, but there those who seem to post not for the purpose of having something constructive to say, but to get a reaction and support from those they seem to consider "cool". It reminds me of high school, with a group of teenagers standing around pushing the others into a fight, afraid to disagree with their "friend" and have a different opinion, and rather than backing up their arguement with some sort of belief system, they resort to "welll, so and so says I'm right, so there!".
Mem, you complain that others are insulting you, don't like you, etc.. Yet you consistently fall into childish behavior. Name calling, insults, I don't want to play with you, then you act shocked when people retaliate in the same fashion. If you can't take it, don't dish it out. If you have a point, make it and ignore the name calling and triggers. You do NOT have to respond in a like manner. If you don't want to be treated like a child, then don't act like one.
You know where I satdn mem. Like I told you, if no one asks the hard, embarrasing, or taboo questions, we learn nothing and do not incite constructive discussion.
Like yngjock said. You are doing the work of a higher power. Keep asking young philosopher and one day your quest may be fulfilled, but the day you run out of questions and things to learn will be the day you go home to your creator.
While I don't agree that what mem is doing is the work of a higher power, I do believe that one should always be curious about life and those around them, as long as it is done in a respectful way. Asking hard questions is fine, as long as you are prepared for the responses. If you are going to put yourself out there, you are going to get some negative reactions.
Osiris put it well when he states "incite constructive discussion". The ability to debate in a respectful way, to accept that someone else's opinion differs from you in a mature manner is part of being "constructive". It's part of the definition of emotional intelligence. It's not easy, but you can't grow if you don't open yourself up to some degree when it comes to the thoughts and beliefs of others.
Some people ALWAYS have to have drama. On LPSG they do this by going from thread to thread, and their every other post is a rude comment of some sort. There are some who need to put others down to make themselves feel in some way superior.
Your time on LPSG is always going to be full of angst if you don't set some boundaries for yourself. I have my own. Two of my top ones are:
1. I do not retaliate with name calling, etc. When someone does this to me, my instinctive reaction is to automatically negate their arguement. If they cannot debate in a mature way, then more than likely they did not arrive at their belief in a mature way, therefore I am wasting my time. I don't want to instill this reaction in someone else.
2. You can disagree and still be respectful. Even if I think someone is a total b**** or jack***, they are entitled to their opinion. Once they cross the line themselves, I move on. I have little patience for childish behavior.