Microaggression, Hypersensitivity, and victimhood culture?

[BigRedBuster]

You're extrapolating bizarrely inventive penal systems to your own satisfaction, BRB, and I have no idea what you're trying to accomplish with that.

 

The thing for me, zoogs, is that I don't disagree with most of what you think in the sense of the way I perceive the world and the posture I try to have towards being considerate of others.

 

What seems ridiculous to me is what BRB is referencing where these sorts of things which are by and large very, very innocuous, are being turned into something that policy and official guide books are needed for. A black teenager being told by a professor, "Wow, good answer, that was really smart" and perceiving a micro-agression of presuming that because he's black he's unintelligent.....well. That just isn't something that needs to actually be addressed by any official group or stance or influence other than that kid and the professor.

I do think some general advice is important.

 

If you're the black teenager, maybe that advice is "Try not to leap to conclusions; the professor probably meant well. Even if he didn't, there are bigger things in life to deal with." {This has basically been the status quo, no?}

 

If I'm the professor, that advice is "Be careful about saying things like that!" (Depending on the context).

 

Fair, right? It's one thing if the student had a truly ingenious solution the professor hadn't thought of. If the professor is just being surprised to see a black kid answer a simple question where he wouldn't be surprised if it were a white kid, then diversity training for him will be good for everybody. {Diversity training is also the status quo, right?}

 

 

 

What do you mean about extrapolating a penal system???

 

This college is putting together a data base of these phrases that allows students to report to the school when they are offended by someone asking what country you are from or saying "bless you".

 

What do you think they do with this data base and then if a student is sooooo offended by someone saying "bless you" that they reported it to the school?

[BigRedBuster]

Come to think of it.....all these white kids who walkon at Nebraska as a wide receiver should report coaches who say..."great catch" because...you know....I'm sure the coach was just surprised the white kid can catch the ball.

[Saunders]

Here's an example of a "microaggression" over a Hawaiian bobble head doll.

 

[zoogs]

Probably not punish them? I mean, in an egregious case, there might be mandatory diversity training, right?

What's with the worry about people reporting people frivolously, by the way?

It seems there's a lot of "Come on, let's assume people are acting with basically good intentions" -- in only one direction.

If we want to get down to the worst of the bad intentions, I'm sure that's a rabbit hole and we can sling plenty of mud all around. Or, instead, we can all agree to both have good intentions, and to learn about where each other might be coming from in the course of those good intentions, so that we can refrain from bad actions or excessive reactions both.

Fair?

[Red Dead Redemption]

Here's an example of a "microaggression" over a Hawaiian bobble head doll.

 

I'll bet she just turned herself into a meme

[Savage Husker]

 

Here's an example of a "microaggression" over a Hawaiian bobble head doll.

I'll bet she just turned herself into a meme

holy shnikeys just watching that made my blood pressure rise.

[Red Dead Redemption]

 

Here's an example of a "microaggression" over a Hawaiian bobble head doll.

I'll bet she just turned herself into a meme

Yup.

 

 

[Red Dead Redemption]

Lol. Her SJW goals backfired. She's had to delete her Twitter account.

 

[Landlord]

I do think some general advice is important.

If you're the black teenager, maybe that advice is "Try not to leap to conclusions; the professor probably meant well. Even if he didn't, there are bigger things in life to deal with." {This has basically been the status quo, no?}

 

If I'm the professor, that advice is "Be careful about saying things like that!" (Depending on the context).

 

Fair, right? It's one thing if the student had a truly ingenious solution the professor hadn't thought of. If the professor is just being surprised to see a black kid answer a simple question where he wouldn't be surprised if it were a white kid, then diversity training for him will be good for everybody. {Diversity training is also the status quo, right?}

 

 

 

Diversity training is good, but that's not really the direction these things are going in, is it? The general advice to college students if they feel like their sensibilities are threatened by these micro (the use of micro is pretty important as a distinction, I think) innocuous 'slights' is NOT trending towards, "Don't jump to conclusions, be patient and gracious and work towards a better understanding." It's trending towards, "You have a right to not hear or experience anything that goes against your sensibilities." Which, frankly, is a bit of a ridiculous perspective to think you can live life from.

[zoogs]

I don't know if that's accurate, LOMS. But I don't know. I obviously haven't experienced most college campuses. I can only gauge a discussion that is part freakout and part advocacy. It makes me think of George Bush's quote in BRB's signature there, about responding to only the worst of intentions while assuming the best of them on our own part. To the extent that goes on from either side, it's worthy of criticism.

 

The entire idea of microaggressions -- micro as in insidious, often accidental and as opposed to overt, not in the sense of 'insignificant' -- I thought was about reaching a better understanding through dialogue.

 

There's been a lot of useful back and forth in the wake of U Chicago's bizarrely-worded letter to incoming freshmen. Here's a counter I thought was thoughtfully made: http://www.vox.com/2016/8/29/12684042/safe-spaces-college-university I tend to take the side that while I'm sure there are poor results from all sides, it tends to be a positive debate. Again, removing those with the worst of intentions or the worst of results from good intentions, from both sides.

[Scratchtown]

 

 

A white, Christian man looks around and tells people of color who are outlining the negative (comparative) differences in their experiences, "BS. You just need a thicker skin"?

Please tell me you can see the optics there.

And, IMO, this victimhood thing is largely a fallacy. Sure I've seen examples of people looking for a reason to get worked up. But by and large, people just have to deal. They've done so all their lives. I think it's fair for them to say "Here's where we can collectively do better" without getting shouted down.

I think people do need to be convinced to pay attention to the saying of certain things, instead of treating it all as safe-to-ignore BS. On the flip side, as far as people needing to learn to not be offended by everything they encounter -- what do you think they've been doing all along? Rolling with it. As if there were ever another choice.

Take your NYC example and keep yourself in Nebraska, except have everyone around you ask you what country you're from.

 

So....according to you, I really don't have a say in this because I'm a white male christian and my job in this is to just sit back, shut up and do as I'm told as far as not offending anyone because how in the hell would I know how offended someone is by me saying "bless you".

 

And...to the bolded....even if they did ask me what country I was from.....Who gives a flying rip if they did???

 

This is essentially what the second video talked about. Your first comments.

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

The entire idea of microaggressions -- micro as in insidious, often accidental and as opposed to overt, not in the sense of 'insignificant' -- I thought was about reaching a better understanding through dialogue.

 

 

Are you saying micro and insidious are synonyms?

[The Dude]

I'm about as non-religious as can be, and I say "God bless you" when people sneeze from time to time.

 

It's just a colloquialism that nobody has taken literally for hundreds of years. Nobody literally thinks sneezing is a symptom of demonic possession anymore.

[BigRedBuster]

Probably not punish them? I mean, in an egregious case, there might be mandatory diversity training, right?

 

What's with the worry about people reporting people frivolously, by the way?

 

It seems there's a lot of "Come on, let's assume people are acting with basically good intentions" -- in only one direction.

 

If we want to get down to the worst of the bad intentions, I'm sure that's a rabbit hole and we can sling plenty of mud all around. Or, instead, we can all agree to both have good intentions, and to learn about where each other might be coming from in the course of those good intentions, so that we can refrain from bad actions or excessive reactions both.

 

Fair?

Can you please explain to me what the college in the first video is doing with the data base they are putting together and the system in place where students can report when they have been offended by people saying things like...."Bless you" or "what country were you born in"?

 

If the college doesn't plan on doing anything with that complaint, why are they going through the trouble and expense of creating a data base of these horrible comments and putting in a system where they can be reported?

[Cdog923]

I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.