> I do wish there was a community that encouraged thoughtful positivity over negativity

Yeah, it's called the real world. We have millions if not billions of years of experience in dealing with in-person differences, tentative contacts with members of neighbouring tribes and smoothing out conflicts. One will find the risk of getting smacked over the face for being an absolute idiot to be a very effective motivator to remain on our best behaviour with strangers.

On the internet these days, you can only choose between an echo chamber, or all-out culture war.

Spot on. I've long said that internet discourse will not improve until the implementation of a protocol to slap someone remotely.

If that were implemented, it would be used before any reply is even read.

Doubtful that it would be an improvement.