My personal progression:

1. Hmm, I guess I can use this to hide posts that I would just get really angry about and just want to get out of my sight. I suppose it must be a mental health feature, the Californians are really into that that these days.

2. Hmm, I guess I can use this to hide uninteresting stuff and then also get new, potentially interesting stuff on the front page.

Presumably people smarter than myself went to #2 immediately...