I never met Charlie Kirk, the far-right commentator who was killed last week in the latest act of headline-grabbing political violence.

And yet, like pretty much every single person who has ever taught in a high school, or worked with teenagers in any number of capacities, I have in fact met plenty of Charlie Kirks.

These are the thirteen to sixteen year old boys who feel that being disruptive, disrespectful, obnoxious and abusive is the most entertaining thing in the world, as well as the best way by which they can draw the attention of others.

They don’t generally make offensive and outrageous comments because they reflect their beliefs, in large part because they don’t really know enough to have any actual beliefs. All they care about is provoking a reaction.

They’re desperate to be bullies, but underneath it all these kids are almost always enormously insecure. They use this kind of behaviour as a shield to deflect from their own inadequacies, perceived or otherwise. They ease their own anxieties by making other people feel bad. They are sad little clowns without any jokes.

Fortunately, most of them eventually grow out of it.

But Charlie Kirk was different, because he turned this brand of childish contrarianism not just into a lifestyle, but also a living. Despite having never had a real job, and lasting for a single semester of college before dropping out, he died with a net worth of $12m.

His actions were all about generating outrage and, with it, engagement, followed by cash. So when Taylor Swift announced her engagement, Kirk grabbed the........

© Herald Scotland