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I disagree with your belief that feigned surprise is common, but I don't want to get wrapped around that axle so I'll take another route. If what you call "feig
by chroma 9y ago
I disagree with your belief that feigned surprise is common, but I don't want to get wrapped around that axle so I'll take another route. If what you call "feigned surprise" is a reflexive, unconscious behavior, then:
1. How can it be feigning/pretend? Perhaps it's not a habit one wishes to cultivate, but it's not fake.
2. How can we hold people morally responsible for it? It seems ill-advised to judge people for behaviors outside of their conscious control.
After more reflection, I find my disagreement with the original post has increased. As I said originally, I think it's wrong to feign a reaction when others expect sincerity. If anything, the post pushes people to conceal their genuine reaction and consciously feign lack-of-surprise. I would much rather help people avoid misinterpreting a sincere response than compel people to conceal their sincere beliefs.
- magicalist 9y agoA reaction can be quick enough to feel instinctual but still be an affectation. Just because a person has said "uh" to fill pauses in speech so often that it feels like it comes without thought doesn't mean it's a behavior outside of their concious control...it just means it's going to take some practice to stop doing it. And that's probably a good analogy because you seem to be reading some persecuting motives here. "Here's an easy viewpoint shift that, with practice, can help you be less alienating/condescending to some people" is not at all equivalent to "you're a bad person for this thing you have no control over".