4 ms·
Seriously what? Is it politically incorrect to mention racial differences at all now?
by rational-future 12y ago
Seriously what? Is it politically incorrect to mention racial differences at all now?
- TeMPOraL 12y agoThis is not even a racial difference, it's a cultural one. But yes, it seems that people want the reality to conforms to political correctness by pretending that biological and cultural differences between sexes, races, countries, age, etc. don't exist and shunning everyone who doesn't agree.
- tptacek 12y agoCan I raise my hand here and concede that I do tend to shun people who want to talk on HN about the "biological and cultural" differences between sexes and races? No apologies. Just wanted to confirm your suspicion.
- TeMPOraL 12y agoSure; but since you raised your hand could you also share your reasons? I don't wish to debate them. I just can think of several people could have and would like to know what are yours.
- tptacek 12y agoCandidly and concisely: I think the arguments about the importance of differences between sexes and races are so dumb that the only way anyone could want to introduce them into a discussion is if they are in some way broken.
- TeMPOraL 12y agoThanks for the answer.
- aptwebapps 12y agoOr they could be young and naive or sheltered. Unless you call that broken, too.
- jwmerrill 12y agoI'd put it like this: variation among members of the same sex, race, country, age, etc. are very often larger and more important than aggregate differences between these groups. Ignoring this fact isn't just bad politics, it's sloppy thinking.
- TeMPOraL 12y agoI agree. One can accept this fact without ignoring that the aggregate differences between groups exist and are sometimes relevant. Otherwise we wouldn't cluster people into those groups.
- lotsofmangos 12y agoOne does not follow from the other, unless you are being tautological with the word relevant. There are plenty of examples where people are forced into groups based on colour or form, where the only relevant factor is the social perception of the colour or form. Now you could argue that this can be important culturally, such as religious rules for different sexes, but then the reasoning becomes completely circular.
- TeMPOraL 12y agoI don't see how this does not follow. > Now you could argue that this can be important culturally, such as religious rules for different sexes, but then the reasoning becomes completely circular. Not really. People seem to confuse what is with what ought. Those are two completely different matters. OP wrote "People like Japanese or Chinese are trained in working in groups with disrespect for the individual.", and he was challenged for the "People like Japanese or Chinese" part. You may believe that such differences ought not exist, or we ought not to have to use such categories, but the OP's statement was about what is, about the state of reality. You may agree or disagree with OP's statement, but at no point should considerations of "political correctness" enter such argument.
- lotsofmangos 12y ago
- Aloha 12y agoMany people, it seems analogize culture to race, and making distinctions about race is (supposed to be) bad. Sociocultural differences however are huge, and information exchange is just one aspect.