Giraffe punching is something that has become more and more common lately, which has led to a lot of unnecessary anger and strained friendships.
You’re probably confused by that last sentence. You’ve never heard of anyone punching a giraffe. Who does that?
Nobody does. Not literally. Which is kind of the point.
Giraffe punching describes the practice of repeatedly lecturing an audience who already agrees with you in an insulting and condescending way, while pretending like they need to be told something that everyone in the audience already knows. In particular, repeatedly telling them to stop doing something that none of them are doing.
It’s an extreme version of preaching to the choir, only more patronizing and vitriolic.
Why do I call it giraffe punching? It comes from this:
