The consequences of flagging vary according to the Trust Level of the flaggers and the number of flags. A post may be hidden before the flag is resolved if the combined Trust Level of the flaggers exceeds a threshold or if three users flag it.
All flags are ultimately resolved by Mods who then choose whether the post should be or remain hidden or not.
Even after a flag is decided the post can be ‘unhidden’ by editing it. Editing without removing offending content wastes everyone’s time. If your post gets flagged and hidden and you don’t know why it is best to either move on or ask the Mods about it rather than simply edit to unhide it.
I believe this is the post @Bill_Janssen is referring to:
Listening to power cables is (with apologies to Cole Porter) my idea of nothing to do.
I would find it hard to live so empty a life that this would be the new thing I’d try out next. Very hard. I’d probably have to be institutionalized.
The objectionable content is the inference that people who listen to power cables lead empty lives sufficient to result in institutionalisation. I thought the post was marginal, but marginal posts are a hostage to fortune. If they draw a clearly inappropriate response which is itself Moderated (as this post did) and are then themselves flagged they can be cleared away. See this stickied thread:
Users can avoid marginal posts being hidden as a result of the inappropriate responses they draw by eschewing disparaging comments or provocative rhetorical flourishes. Keep in mind that remarking on the psychology of those who you disagree with is likely to offend and usually adds nothing useful to the conversation.