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Yeah, I'm all about the idea behind letting people express themselves without being censored, but the stark reality is that the people pushing the envelope here are saying some pretty damaging things about other people in a hurtful and escalating way.

I don't know how to square these two thoughts.




> I don't know how to square these two thoughts.

There's nothing wrong with boxing matches. There's also nothing wrong with people wanting to walk city streets without having to fight.

The solution is to provide places for boxing, and places where boxing people is forbidden.


'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.'

Granted, it's aspirational.


Have you thought about the possibility that our language has been constructed to give people like you more ammunition against others? And given other less ammunition to use against people like you? Words like "bitch", "bossy", etc. Also cultural norms for what kinds of emotions you interpret as "too much" if it’s a woman but “oh crap I should listen” if it’s a man, etc.

I have no idea who you are, so just a question about where you’re at in thinking about this.

And do I understand correctly your proposal? That we should all aspire to be unaffected by the words of others. And if someone is negatively affected by words it is their failure, not the failure of the speaker or the failure of the group they are in together.


|the possibility that our language has been constructed to give people like you more ammunition against others?

The idea that the language was constructed is pretty silly. It's such a twisted hodge-podge of borrowed ideas. Besides, other languages with far different heritages will hold very similar words and terms as ours. As for the idea of having more ammunition, You'd have to actually provide some evidence for the idea that there's more plentiful / harsh language available to 'people like me'. Particularly when I've seen both of the words you cite used plentifully towards a broad swathe of people.

|That we should all aspire to be unaffected by the words of others.

Yes.

|And if someone is negatively affected by words it is their failure, not the failure of the speaker or the failure of the group they are in together.

Not exactly, no. A person being an asshole is an asshole. Your reaction to it doesn't absolve them of that behavior, even if you responded positively for some reason. However, letting some random asshole ruin your day by saying something you don't like is just setting you up for constant failure, as you are so easily driven into a negative emotional state. I'm suggesting a coping strategy, one among many, to guide a person in navigating a world full of adversity.


Definitely harder than it sounds if I’ve been told that as a kid and am still cultivating that as an adult




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