Empathy and understanding is good to have, but remember that all the empathy & understanding for why someone does things in the world means nothing if they keep acting in abusive fashions with no moves to change.
I've lost friends over my own abusive behavior in the past, and that was on me, 100% on me. I changed a lot of my ways over time, but not everyone does, and nothing justifies the harm one did.
@Ulfra_Wolfe is it ok to boost this?
@SoniEx2 Sure. If I don't want any messages boosted, I'll make them private.
@Ulfra_Wolfe eh idk I still wish mastodon had better/separate boost & visibility controls.
@Ulfra_Wolfe (including for DMs for non-sensitive DMs (say, throwing ideas back and forth), and for followers-only for a "word of mouth" kinda thing, and so on)