Read on Twitter1/ Every time I post about cancel culture on Instagram, someone asks âwhat about holding people accountable who spread hate and encourage discrimination & violence?â
2/ I have a few thoughts on this:
1. Do we even have a mutually agreed definition of hate, violence & discrimination?
There are people who think advocating personal responsibility = hate.
Or that words are violence.
Or being blocked on social media is discrimination.
1. Do we even have a mutually agreed definition of hate, violence & discrimination?
There are people who think advocating personal responsibility = hate.
Or that words are violence.
Or being blocked on social media is discrimination.
3/ If we donât have a mutually agreed explicit understanding of what words like hate, violence & discrimination mean, I donât think itâs possible to have this conversation.
4/ These, and also racism, sexism, transphobia, are very serious words.
They are supposed to have weight to them. Some gravity.
And when we fling these words around & label people & things we donât like, we lose that.
They are supposed to have weight to them. Some gravity.
And when we fling these words around & label people & things we donât like, we lose that.
5/ Itâs very important to know when actual hate, racism, violence, transphobia, and discrimination have happened. These are serious things.
Another reason why diluting the meaning of these words is dangerous, self serving & myopic.
Another reason why diluting the meaning of these words is dangerous, self serving & myopic.
6/ And 2. There seems to be this idea that people are essentially puppets who hear hateful views and blindly start enacting them.
(Or at least this is what weâre told the reason is.)
I donât believe people are stupid. I think adults can discern for themselves.
(Or at least this is what weâre told the reason is.)
I donât believe people are stupid. I think adults can discern for themselves.
7) This is safetyism is action. Shield people from âharmfulâ views. Bubble wrap the world. Feed people the ârightâ ideas and somehow society will fall into order.
This is lacking a fundamental understanding of psychology.
This is lacking a fundamental understanding of psychology.
8/ Human nature has not been âcontrolledâ by anyone expect the human being themselves voluntarily.
You cannot remove hateful impulses by removing hateful stimuli. There will always be people who are driven by malevolence. Similar to cancel culture enacting our worst impulses.
You cannot remove hateful impulses by removing hateful stimuli. There will always be people who are driven by malevolence. Similar to cancel culture enacting our worst impulses.
9/ 3. The final idea is that people who secretly harbour âhateâ are emboldened.
Thereâs some truth to this, as we see in cancel culture. Some people are emboldened to bully & enact interpersonal violence because itâs socially acceptable.
And yet so many donât.
Thereâs some truth to this, as we see in cancel culture. Some people are emboldened to bully & enact interpersonal violence because itâs socially acceptable.
And yet so many donât.
10/ We stand up to it, we say no. We face the backlash. At great personal cost.
This is an illustration of how itâs less environment and more personality traits & temperament.
If this hypothesis was true weâd all have the same response to stimuli. We donât.
This is an illustration of how itâs less environment and more personality traits & temperament.
If this hypothesis was true weâd all have the same response to stimuli. We donât.
11/ Because we are not blank screens. We are not all socialised the same way, either.
Individual personality variations exist.
Ultimately, itâs down to the individual, whether thereâs âharmfulâ stimuli or not.
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Individual personality variations exist.
Ultimately, itâs down to the individual, whether thereâs âharmfulâ stimuli or not.
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