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I prefer this Douglas Adams quote to the Boris Johnson one, but it has much the same thought behind it: "One of the major difficulties Trillian experienced in
by dcminter 2y ago
I prefer this Douglas Adams quote to the Boris Johnson one, but it has much the same thought behind it:
"One of the major difficulties Trillian experienced in her relationship with Zaphod was learning to distinguish between him pretending to be stupid just to get people off their guard, pretending to be stupid because he couldn't be bothered to think and wanted someone else to do it for him, pretending to be outrageously stupid to hide the fact that he actually didn’t understand what was going on, and really being genuinely stupid. He was renowned for being amazingly clever and quite clearly was so — but not all the time, which obviously worried him, hence, the act. He preferred people to be puzzled rather than contemptuous."
As a 50-something I'd say the chance to spot patterns one has encountered before is the super-power and getting in a rut is the kryptonite.
Oh and my brain does like to spend time at 2am thinking about embarassing and humiliating mistakes I have made. Those accumulate, so there's something to dwell uncomfortably upon as one (at any age) looks to the future. I guess it gives one an incentive to make fewer...
- happymellon 2y agoThe problem with the Boris quote is that he would have to do something extremely clever at some point. Unfortunately he is just a racist rich white man who got burnt by his own lies.
- xanderlewis 2y agoRacist?
- relaxing 2y agoIt means showing prejudice or antagonism towards people based on their membership in a marginalized ethnic group.
- mensetmanusman 2y agoLike using ‘white man’ as an epithet
- relaxing 2y ago‘white man’ is not a marginalized ethnic group.
- mensetmanusman 2y agoPoor whites are in some locales
- happymellon 2y agoBoris Johnson is not poor.
- xanderlewis 2y agoGood example.
- n4r9 2y agoIndeed, e.g. https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?op=1 https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-...
- xanderlewis 2y agoOh — yes. I’m familiar with that. I don’t think (if you actually read the original source of the quotes rather than just finding the language offensive, which it seems almost no one does) it quite warrants the term ‘racist’, though.
- n4r9 2y agoInteresting take. Do you think a white person using the n-word is racist?
- xanderlewis 2y agoThis will sound like I’m being needlessly perverse, but: no. Intent is what matters. Quite clearly, the word you mention can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons — not all of them racist. Conversely, you can be the most awful racist without ever saying an offensive word. And there are plenty of those sorts of people too. However, as for the specific example you mention: I know Americans tend to feel very strongly about that word and I understand that. But to most other English speakers, whilst it’s a horrible word, its mere usage isn’t itself always considered a terrible crime. In fact, it commonly occurs in literature studied in schools — and yes, the teachers and students will in that case have licence to use (or read aloud, if you like) the word.
- n4r9 2y agoI don't know if "perverse" is the word... maybe "avoidant". I can try to be more specific. Is it racist for a white person to use the n-word to refer to black people in casual conversation? As in, "I was walking to the shop and passed some n***s playing football."