When a lot of people are upset over something, it can feel like civilization is slipping backwards. But - even if only one possible interpretation in the practical interest of preserving hope and sanity to be able to think clearly - I find it healthy to consider (1.) whether its a problem worth being upset about, if it is then (2.) is it a problem that has been going on in our cultures history anyhow, and if so (3.) were as many people nearly so troubled by it some 5, 10, 50 or more years ago? Because if indeed its a problem worth being mad over, yet its not actually the problem which is new but its the widespread disapproval over it which is new, then whats going on may not be that reality became worse, but instead that more people have raised their standards for what they consider acceptable. Every awful, legitimate problem in civilizations sometimes embarrassing history was an even more dreadful and hopeless problem when it had not yet been widely accepted as a legitimate issue that needed to be addressed. A mess that isnt perceived as a mess doesnt get cleaned up. To be clear, things that Im definitely not saying here: there are no problems, there are no problematic people, there is no work to be done on the problems, problems will take care of themselves, problems shouldnt be discussed, nor that todays problems in our communities are somehow less valid than those elsewhere or in a more brutal century. Theres clearly much work to be done. All I am saying is that people seeing that theres much work to be done, rather than accepting the status quo as acceptable, can itself be read as a positive sign of progress. Matters that were long unnoticed, or even worse seen but ignored, have been brought into the public spotlight for a collective (if heated) updated discussion of, hey, surely were not all ok with this, right? (If youre upset that Im not taking a more pronounced position here, or attaching a chain of hashtags that pin me clearly on a side, please consider that were I to frame this same point in a way that one half of my friends or the other half would instantly disregard it would defeat my whole purpose in writing it.)
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:07:39 +0000
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