There's a lot going on in the world now, as in the past, and probably more in the future. Given such an obvious fact, it's quite natural for humans to discuss the happenings around us. Does every facet of life have to be examined under a magnifying glass? Of course not, but a sense of genuine interest in social constructs never hurt anyone. Unfortunately, there are those who contribute absolutely nothing to these conversations, resulting in further lack of understanding and a need for extra-strength Excedrin. In an attempt to relieve everyone of wasted oxygen and time, here are four  individuals, along with their red-flags, you might want to avoid during your next discourse.

1. The Gaslighter

Like any troll, gaslighters take on a Charlamagne Tha God persona of being willfully obtuse and antagonistic for the sake of stirring the pot. Because let's be honest, this person really didn't want to add anything of value to a thought-provoking conversation from the jump.

Red flag: Gaslighters will mock you for being "too passionate" or "too concerned" about certain topics. They often (ironically) request you to do the labor of "educating" them by pulling all the facts to support your claim, only to downplay your findings. Basically, they're Donald Trump.

2. The Black & Whites

The most aggravating out of the bunch, Black & Whites, look at life through an "either/or" lens. No variables, no middle ground, no grey areas because of course that's how the universe functions. So during talks on increasing the minimum wage in America, the Black & Whites will fire-back with, "If you don't want to make minimum-wage, go to college!" See the lack of nuance and acknowledgment of the struggle many degreed citizens endure by accepting minimum-wage positions to get by?

Red flag: The immediate stance on issues with a total disregard for how the problem originated is a dead giveaway for the Black & White types.

3. The "No Big Dealer"

Through their eyes, the world's volume is equivalent to a bottle-cap of Sprite, where everything is "not that deep." Don't bother dissecting music, media and controversial topics around them, because rarely is anything a possible learning moment worth delving into.

Red flag: "It's not that deep," and "what's the big deal?" are usually the only questions they can seem to muster. All of which leave you to wonder why they chose to partake in an exchange.

4. The Passive-Privileged

With a dab of the aforementioned "No Big Dealer," the Passive-Privileged person sees no point in touching on particular subjects, because it doesn't (negatively) affect them.

Red flag: Lurking in debates especially regarding double-standards and oppression, the Passive Privileged will usually toss around a good ol' "that's just the way it is" in place of a sound argument. Some may patronize or argue semantics in defense, via "not all," "reverse-racism" etc., to disassociate themselves from the toxic folks whom they share a demographic with.

I'll stop here.

Honorable mentions: "Strawmen," "I've never seen/heard of (insert topic/issue) so it must be new" folks, and "It's just my opinion" individuals.