What Are You Doing Right Now? (267 Viewers)
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There's a juicy question out there that I think is an interesting topic of discussion. Just that I fumbled on it too obliquely.
I once had an interesting debate with housemates in grad school about the topic of personal persecution. There are classes of socially acceptable and not acceptable classes of persecution. For example: race. For a counter-example: being fat.
Most social mores have been established along the rough lines that taunting or evil deeds associated with one class are unacceptable -- and causes for "hate-crime"-like status -- while the other class they are considered bad but 'acceptable', as you cannot legislate decency or not being an asshole. The split is most conveniently defined along the lines of things you have choices over versus the things you don't have choices over. But even that isn't so black and white. You may have a choice over your religion... or do you? And genetic sources aside, being fat is still considered in the "voluntary" category. But what about "being a nerd"?
I had a housemate who made a compelling argument that he may not have been Jewish... or black ... but he felt the social torture and anguish he suffered at the hands of his classmates over being "a class nerd" were arguably just as hurtful and damaging as anything someone might experience is it were based on their Jewishness or race. And yet we socially treat these cases quite separately. Fair?
I once had an interesting debate with housemates in grad school about the topic of personal persecution. There are classes of socially acceptable and not acceptable classes of persecution. For example: race. For a counter-example: being fat.
Most social mores have been established along the rough lines that taunting or evil deeds associated with one class are unacceptable -- and causes for "hate-crime"-like status -- while the other class they are considered bad but 'acceptable', as you cannot legislate decency or not being an asshole. The split is most conveniently defined along the lines of things you have choices over versus the things you don't have choices over. But even that isn't so black and white. You may have a choice over your religion... or do you? And genetic sources aside, being fat is still considered in the "voluntary" category. But what about "being a nerd"?
I had a housemate who made a compelling argument that he may not have been Jewish... or black ... but he felt the social torture and anguish he suffered at the hands of his classmates over being "a class nerd" were arguably just as hurtful and damaging as anything someone might experience is it were based on their Jewishness or race. And yet we socially treat these cases quite separately. Fair?
Personally I do not see the nerd thing as in the same category of race or religion. Do I think being persecuted for being smarter than another or nerdier is correct no not at all. People attack what they can't understand they fear the different than what they percieve as normal. Be it a persons faith, brian or other thing. In other words they do not love thy neighbor at all
But why wouldn't it be in the same category? What allows for the double standard, if the resulting psychological trauma is the same? That's the question I find interesting.
Kids in school are mean sometimes (as if adults aren't). What makes one stick poked in the eye more acceptable than the other if the kid ends up blinded either way?
Kids in school are mean sometimes (as if adults aren't). What makes one stick poked in the eye more acceptable than the other if the kid ends up blinded either way?
Ah. Here's a good line of at least attempted initial reasoning: some social topics have such broad negative social repercussions that we hold them to a different standard than the others. I believe that is partly true. I'm just not so sure that's the exclusive, let alone even the primary, social motivator for why we treat these as two separate classes of offenses.
I think it's the major factor. I mean, the groups who tend to be the most insecure are the ones that have be most wronged or persecuted. Blacks, Jews, Muslims all have a history of persecution that's stuck with them to today. I think that's why no one really gets upset being called a honkey, most Christians brush off jokes at their expense.
