3 ms·

I get a little tired of Western adoption of values or ideas from non-Western cultures being called "appropriation".

• affgrff2 4y ago
  I agree, that is rather stupid. There is a point in the concept of appropriation if a group actually is negatively affected, but there should be no IP on ideas on how to live a good life.
• blippage 4y ago
  I agree. The word "appropriation" heavily connotes an interpretation as theft, and therefore bad. But cultures never exist in a vacuum, there's always cross-pollination, inspiration and adaption of ideas. I see this as a good, rather than bad, thing. Some people make out that their cultural artefacts are theirs, and theirs alone. But I still see that there is a problem with Buddhism being used in corporate America. It smacks too much of a kind of "spiritual materialism" for want of better words, which is precisely the kind of thing that won't work. Rather than say "appropriation", I'd say that Buddhism has been "misappropriated" would be an apt description in this instance. I reiterate that words like "appropriation" and "misappropriation" must be used only in rare cases. Buddhism does have a place in the West, but I'd prefer people to seek guidance from genuine monks rather than laymen who style themselves as "trainers".
• pessimizer 4y ago
  Far more people are tired of Westerners blacking up, dressing up in a parody of the people that they colonized and doing a little dance that seems like something a native would do, which is why it's a discussion now.
  • EdwardDiego 4y ago
    Right. But how does that apply to Buddhism? Haven't noticed much blackface at the local Buddhist Association.
  • lmm 4y ago
    Citation needed. Is it really far more people, or just a few more influential (mostly western or westernised and upper-class) people?