4 ms·

Being kind to other people will make you more likeable, truly takes a place like HN to frame compassion and solidarity as something bad:D

labster 3y ago
It’s actually about unkindness. Kind people would give others the benefit of the doubt. This is the type of kindness you see from politicians, where individuals are aggressively attacked due to some microaggression to a group.
kergonath 3y ago
Compassion and solidarity should not be imposed without compassion, though. You don’t fight hate and oppression with more hate and oppression. When most people are annoyed with in-your-face militant attitudes it’s not because they don’t want to be nice. It’s because they don’t want to be bullied into following the dogma of the day. Of course you also have plain old racists, but putting them in the same bag as the big chunk of the population who just wants to get on with their day is bound to alienate quite a few people. Hence the blowback. When someone explains that I cannot not be racist because I have pale skin (which does happen), well it just makes me want to punch them in the face. If we are supposed to all belong and accept each other regardless of our external appearance, then people making assumption about me based on it is just prejudice.
- Probiotic6081 3y ago
  > When someone explains that I cannot not be racist because I have pale skin (which does happen) this does not happen, nobody says that. It's a strawman argument.
  - kergonath 3y ago
    There are examples in this very discussion, FFS.
ben_w 3y ago
Being holy is good, being "holier than thou" is bad. Doing things to support minorities is good, having a row based on who is the biggest friend/foe of various minorities… it's not literally "Munchausen by proxy" but it seems to have similar vibes.

4 ms·

Being kind to other people will make you more likeable, truly takes a place like HN to frame compassion and solidarity as something bad:D

by Probiotic6081 3y ago

labster 3y ago
It’s actually about unkindness. Kind people would give others the benefit of the doubt. This is the type of kindness you see from politicians, where individuals are aggressively attacked due to some microaggression to a group.
kergonath 3y ago
Compassion and solidarity should not be imposed without compassion, though. You don’t fight hate and oppression with more hate and oppression. When most people are annoyed with in-your-face militant attitudes it’s not because they don’t want to be nice. It’s because they don’t want to be bullied into following the dogma of the day. Of course you also have plain old racists, but putting them in the same bag as the big chunk of the population who just wants to get on with their day is bound to alienate quite a few people. Hence the blowback. When someone explains that I cannot not be racist because I have pale skin (which does happen), well it just makes me want to punch them in the face. If we are supposed to all belong and accept each other regardless of our external appearance, then people making assumption about me based on it is just prejudice.
- Probiotic6081 3y ago
  > When someone explains that I cannot not be racist because I have pale skin (which does happen) this does not happen, nobody says that. It's a strawman argument.
  - kergonath 3y ago
    There are examples in this very discussion, FFS.
ben_w 3y ago
Being holy is good, being "holier than thou" is bad. Doing things to support minorities is good, having a row based on who is the biggest friend/foe of various minorities… it's not literally "Munchausen by proxy" but it seems to have similar vibes.