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Do these people not understand how much ugliness they reveal about themselves when they cannot envision a platonic friendship between the old and the young? Whe

Do these people not understand how much ugliness they reveal about themselves when they cannot envision a platonic friendship between the old and the young? Whether projection or cynicism, I don't trust them.

cko 5y ago
I think it's more of an American culture thing. I was living in Austria with this co-living community. The lady hosting me had 3 kids, ages 3-10. Because I grew up in the US I actively avoided interacting with them, which the host found weird, as she was probably hoping I would at least teach the kids something. One time I stumbled upon a playground in Seoul, looking for a place to do some calisthenics. It was completely empty. I made an Instagram story captioned 'found a gym.' Two friends immediately joked 'be careful, don't get arrested.' Then again I do think there's gotta to be some sort of underlying tension between a straight man and a female of childbearing age, no matter how platonic the relationship. In the US we automatically assume pederasty or grooming.
- rendall 5y ago
  > I do think there's gotta to be some sort of underlying tension between a straight man and a female of childbearing age Sorry, I think this is a self-own, to be honest. This is not inevitable. That's not an every man thing, that's a you thing. I mean that kindly, as a kindly wake up.
  - cko 5y ago
    Really? I thought that was the reason fathers are less cuddly/affectionate with their daughters as they grow older.
    - rendall 4y ago
      If true, let's observe that parents and children mutually stop cuddling as they get older. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters. Whatever the reason, I think sexual tension makes the least sense.
sph 5y ago
Pedophilia is so often on the news in the US (and UK) I'm not surprised. Similarly, I remember there was a period a few years ago that the British news I was reading was so intensely focused on toxic masculinity, their inherent desire for rape and violence against women (thanks, Guardian) for a while I carried the fear in myself I could become one of those disgusting people, even though there has never been a thought of violence in my head. I'm in my 30s, I find my paternal instinct growing and joy whenever I see a family with happy children, yet news has conditioned me not even to smile at a stranger's kid that might make a funny face at me, even though I'd like to make a funny face back at them. What a sad world we live in, scared to death because it sells news rags.

cko 5y ago

I think it's more of an American culture thing. I was living in Austria with this co-living community. The lady hosting me had 3 kids, ages 3-10. Because I grew up in the US I actively avoided interacting with them, which the host found weird, as she was probably hoping I would at least teach the kids something. One time I stumbled upon a playground in Seoul, looking for a place to do some calisthenics. It was completely empty. I made an Instagram story captioned 'found a gym.' Two friends immediately joked 'be careful, don't get arrested.' Then again I do think there's gotta to be some sort of underlying tension between a straight man and a female of childbearing age, no matter how platonic the relationship. In the US we automatically assume pederasty or grooming.

rendall 5y ago
> I do think there's gotta to be some sort of underlying tension between a straight man and a female of childbearing age Sorry, I think this is a self-own, to be honest. This is not inevitable. That's not an every man thing, that's a you thing. I mean that kindly, as a kindly wake up.
- cko 5y ago
  Really? I thought that was the reason fathers are less cuddly/affectionate with their daughters as they grow older.
  - rendall 4y ago
    If true, let's observe that parents and children mutually stop cuddling as they get older. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters. Whatever the reason, I think sexual tension makes the least sense.

sph 5y ago

Pedophilia is so often on the news in the US (and UK) I'm not surprised. Similarly, I remember there was a period a few years ago that the British news I was reading was so intensely focused on toxic masculinity, their inherent desire for rape and violence against women (thanks, Guardian) for a while I carried the fear in myself I could become one of those disgusting people, even though there has never been a thought of violence in my head. I'm in my 30s, I find my paternal instinct growing and joy whenever I see a family with happy children, yet news has conditioned me not even to smile at a stranger's kid that might make a funny face at me, even though I'd like to make a funny face back at them. What a sad world we live in, scared to death because it sells news rags.