Controversies are drugs for the mind. It provides people with a sense of identification.

Controversies are a necessity.

Looking at this behavioural perspective, it is important to understand the nature of the

mind. The mind divides, it survives between polarities, either this or that, 1 or 0. It is either
for or against.

This makes it easy for the logical mind to get identified to one side of the coin. It is the
simplest way out.

For example, extremists and their ilk are those who are totally identified and believe that the
coin has only one side. The possibility of the other side does not exist.

Liberals are those for whom the other side exists, yet their side is superior over the other
side. (The fight between communists and democrats) for example.

The underlying point, however, is that society(people) however need the drug of
identification, for it is from identification that controversies arise.

Spiritualists are those who aspire for Non-Identification

Second, there’s the personal controversy, such as celebrity gossip or political scandals. It’s
fun to be the first to tell a lurid tale, or to berate a public figure for something outrageous
they said or did. It gives the impression one is above the kind of wrongdoing or stupidity
involved.

Some people on Quora are masters at dismantling other people in writing. And this answer
is not written to dismantle those writers. My point is, the worse people are in the eyes of the
public—intellectually, morally, or politically—the easier it is to make a name for yourself if
you’re a good writer. Or even if you’re not especially a good writer.

But ridiculing or giving someone a good dressing down in public, whether they
deserve it or not, can be rewarding enough for some people to make seeking out
controversy a pastime.