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Cake day: August 16th, 2023

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  • thax@lemmy.dbzer0.comtoLemmy Shitpost@lemmy.worldInteresting observation
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    3 months ago

    Not directly related to the original comment, but generally, I must disagree with the assertion that caring about differences in intensity is problematic or warrants the assumption of “justifying bad behavior”. I’d argue, that in most cases, failure to juxtapose two distal scenarios is more dubious and spurs a breakdown in communication. It seems commonplace now, amongst a set of the population, to cast all loosely related things into one bucket, details be damned. This is a dangerous mode of groupthink. It represents an over-correction that pushes the pendulum-of-social-discord to new heights. I also think it emblematic of the current political divide. Assuming intent, and classifying it as akin to some greater evil, only “highlights” that one party is tugging emotional hooks to make an obscure point seem clear. That’s religious bollocks. Words matter and differences are important. Good-bad binaries are born from our ideological past, to assert control or prepare us for battle.

    “why are you defending bad behavior from being compared”

    He quite clearly is comparing them and saying one isn’t as bad, in his tongue-in-cheek opinion.

    “why do you care?”

    Many are quite simply fatigued with the torrent of false equivalencies plaguing modern discourse, whether for dramatic effect or not. I think it sometimes comes from a good place, but more often, I suspect it to be self-serving, group-selection, othering behavior. The sanctimony with which some connect the dots clouds broader context. Effective communication requires giving the other party some grace.

    I speak to some folks who have worked on university campuses over the past 20 years. Beginning, in earnest, around the year 2010, this type of behavior has run amok. I do think it started with good, well-reasoned intentions but metastasized into a nebulous search-for-meaning, a weary reaction to the declining state-of-the-world. Yes, identifying bad behavior can be a positive, to move society away from our more basal instincts, but oversimplifying in this manner is not helpful; it’s inflammatory. It’s like fighting fire with fire, which may work for a time, but ultimately, it’s a stopgap, feel-good, short-term solution that runs the risk of exacerbating the original problem.

    Fact of the matter is, we are living during a time of extinction. Siloing into groups is probably inevitable, and I think manifestations of the culture war are a symptom, driven by environmental factors and bad actors. But, humans should be intelligent enough to maintain a broad context window and resist the temptation to reduce the complexities of cause-and-effect into emotional binaries. Mapping differences is how we truly improve and avoid thinking in binaries.

    TLDR: I drank some coffee and wrote some stuff. No offense intended. For more about “thinking in binaries” check out the essays of Montaigne.






  • Here’s a link to the article: https://archive.ph/oM5UV

    I don’t take issue with any of the points presented, but the tone and content fall short. As one from the Oregon-Trail generation, I fit the profile, and am amongst the set who have opted out of chasing milestones. To me, chasing always seemed rather tone deaf. You see, I grew up in a pseudo-religious household, one that replaced “god” with “family” but also pushed opaque ideals and wore similar horse blinders. As such, I set out to learn about the world. By college age, I came to see that, well, it appears that we are rather fucked. If the Earth is in a state of overshoot, then it’s only a matter of time before the wheels fall off. And, with each new data point, it’s looked increasingly like a number of the effects would come to fruition in my lifetime. I’m not anti-natalist, but I’ve not been confident that I could create a life for children that protects them. I do want the human race to survive, and I’ll strive to help my community in the ways that I can, but I’m not one to don earmuffs and make low probability decisions. “Don’t look up” is not an option for me, as I’ve been looking throughout my life.

    We are experiencing the effects of overshoot, so it’s reasonable, in my opinion, to opt out and live in full awareness. Yes that spells the end of human systems as they currently exist, but that’s how it goes. We’ve fucked around, and now we shall find out.

    edit: I wanted to add, that repeating the same behaviors, e.g. chasing milestones, is what got us into this mess. I think it a mistake to become salty, pining for the lives of our forefathers. If we want to survive, we need to adapt to the reality of our situation. To expand upon why I say the tone of this article is lacking: it seems to suggest that breaking from the status quo is problematic when it’s the first step toward finding a REAL solution.







  • Sounds rational to me. I’ve also observed many who purport to “care so much”, but it’s really a veil to dodge accountability or otherwise manipulate various social levers. I steer clear of those that are quick to play social games, including shame, to gain status or get their way.

    I’ll take rational, well-reasoned, and balanced empathy over manic, performative forms of “care” any day of the week. i.e.: It’s nowhere near a simple binary, those that care and those that don’t. Deceitful opportunists infect all demographics.