4 ms·

Another honest question, do you think "keeping things to yourself" really means you affect only yourself?

stcredzero 9y ago
Reminds me of what Diana Davison says about the "Male Gaze." There's this old theory from the ancient world, later debunked by muslim academics, called "Emission Theory" where the eyes see by projecting "rays" which reach out and physically touch the world. It's her theory that a good number of feminists who object to the "Male Gaze" are actually using mental models of the world that include Emission Theory. Apparently, there's a large fraction of the populace that believes this erroneous theory, much like many people believe "there's no gravity in space" and think the Earth gets colder in Winter because it's farther away from the Sun. (Though many of those people will then tell you it's Summer in Australia while it's Winter in North America.) The idea that private activities have some kind of outside effect is quite akin to the idea that homosexuals being homosexual cause earthquakes.
- betenoire 9y ago
  Whoah.... I was not trying to imply mystical connections between private thoughts/behaviors and some global universal results... I was just trying to suggest that our thoughts, words, and actions, even in private, are continually shaping us as people over all. Simple example: I can often tell when my friends are depressed, even when they are trying to be depressed in private. Also, I'm not sure why you used this as a chance to take a crack at feminists. tsk.
  - stcredzero 9y ago
    Also, I'm not sure why you used this as a chance to take a crack at feminists. tsk. Well, it used to be that the loudest public voices asserting that what people did in private somehow affected the outside world were people like Pat Robertson. In 2018, it's people like Anita Sarkeesian. So I think it's apt to make the historical link there. If some other people come along in the future, I'll make the link then as well.

Reminds me of what Diana Davison says about the "Male Gaze." There's this old theory from the ancient world, later debunked by muslim academics, called "Emission Theory" where the eyes see by projecting "rays" which reach out and physically touch the world. It's her theory that a good number of feminists who object to the "Male Gaze" are actually using mental models of the world that include Emission Theory. Apparently, there's a large fraction of the populace that believes this erroneous theory, much like many people believe "there's no gravity in space" and think the Earth gets colder in Winter because it's farther away from the Sun. (Though many of those people will then tell you it's Summer in Australia while it's Winter in North America.) The idea that private activities have some kind of outside effect is quite akin to the idea that homosexuals being homosexual cause earthquakes.

betenoire 9y ago
Whoah.... I was not trying to imply mystical connections between private thoughts/behaviors and some global universal results... I was just trying to suggest that our thoughts, words, and actions, even in private, are continually shaping us as people over all. Simple example: I can often tell when my friends are depressed, even when they are trying to be depressed in private. Also, I'm not sure why you used this as a chance to take a crack at feminists. tsk.
- stcredzero 9y ago
  Also, I'm not sure why you used this as a chance to take a crack at feminists. tsk. Well, it used to be that the loudest public voices asserting that what people did in private somehow affected the outside world were people like Pat Robertson. In 2018, it's people like Anita Sarkeesian. So I think it's apt to make the historical link there. If some other people come along in the future, I'll make the link then as well.