MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > "touched a nerve"

"touched a nerve"

posted 3 years ago by actionkamen (23176)
11 replies | jump to latest

What a weird use of an expression.

It's often used in a heated Internet debate. I know what it means. What I don't understand is what the purpose of someone saying that after they made someone else mad?

I mean, imagine if it was in real life. You disrespect or insult, say, the teacher in your class, and then after he got mad you say haha looks like I touched a nerve.

Classroom would be like, huh? Ya think?

What was the point? You made him mad, and then claim that you touch a nerve. Isn't it a captain obvious moment?

It's like as if a guy tells a joke and after everybody laughed hard, he while smirking full of confidence then proudly says HAHA LOOKS LIKE I TOLD A JOKE!

Well of course you did! But somehow it is used that way in the Internet. All the time.

[–] samoanjoes (58601) 3 years ago

I hate it too. It's just a lazy way for someone who did the insulting to get away with saying it. If someone gets called a complete idiot and gets upset by it, the person who did the insulting acts all innocent and is like, "why are you so mad?" Take a guess why they're so mad.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Exactly! And any other people that read the thread can clearly see what made the other person upset. How can that be getting away with anything? I don't get it.

[–] samoanjoes (58601) 3 years ago

Imagine this scenario and the man thinks he's right:

Man: "woman, get your ass up and make me a sandwich."

Woman: "don't speak to me that way".

Man: "looks like I touched a nerve."

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Now I can see it could work in a 2 person setting. To make the woman even more annoyed.

But not with an audience in front of them. That would only make the man look like a loser.

That's why I don't understand the usage in an open online forum like this.

[–] jonathan_k80 (6436) 3 years ago

It's a form of gloating over the fact that they got somebody riled up.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Hmm... in that case it might work in a situation that only involved 2 parties, say in a private chat. I can see one may say that to increase the anger level of the other person. Basically a version of la la la I can't hear youuu...

But in a open forum like this everyone else can read the whole thread and clearly see everything. Saying it after insulting somebody else would actually made themselves look even more stupid.

Maybe they just don't realise? And still honestly think ooh I'm so cool I can make people upset?

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 3 years ago

Except when it is a genuine expression of surprise.

Gent: "Honey, will you pass me the remote?"
Lass: "How dare you speak to me thus!"
Gent: "Whoa! Looks like I touched a nerve"

[–] capuchin (3366) 3 years ago

I think it's a way for very stupid people to claim 'victory' in an exchange. If you made the other person mad, that means you won the argument. Apparently. Even if the facts and evidence are on the other side of the debate.

So I like it best when used in situations where the other person demonstrably isn't mad...

'All fish are inedible.'
'Um, fish has been a staple part of the human diet for tens of thousands of years.'
'Touched a nerve there.'

Incidentally, I also like it when people say 'ad hominem' when it's just an insult. These are among my favourites of the many ways people on the internet - who all attended the same Wikipedia debating school - accidentally announce to me that they're functionally illiterate.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I guess it depends on context. If someone can upset a debater by using solid logic and not straight up insults I'd say it makes sense. It may still be petty but the reaction to it cannot be denied.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

That may be true, but I think I've never actually seen someone who only use logic and no insults replies using "looks like I touched a nerve" before.

[–] Mustang (5571) 3 years ago

It depends on the reaction and what was said and done. Some people go over the top just because something is said that didn’t like or agree with. Very common on Internet forums.