this is a thing that speaks to my heart, because I identify myself as Pagan and religious, and also an ethical and liberal person, and I find myself floating a lot because I just find Tumblr and its breed of SJ so goddamn exhausting I can't deal with it because there is no reality in it, and I find liberal academia so snobby, but I can't with the hardcore religious conservatism (I spent Thanksgiving dinner being lectured enthusiastically on the AWESOMENESS of the creation museum and praying for wine that didn't appear until the lecturers had left) and I just
it's complicated
why do people keep trying to reduce it to simplicity? there really aren't good simple answers. Even something like "be kind" is like - but does that mean self-harm in the name of kindness to others? how can I value myself as an individual if that's the case, which is another tenet of that system? this isn't easy, and in general I hate that people really want it to be starkly delineated when it's not (and I would even argue there isn't ANY "right" answer, just answers that are better or worse for different factions in any given situation. I broadly believe that certain things are wrong, but everything's got shadows, and I'm sure there are situations where a blanket prohibition is wrong. Do I know what they are? no. Is it a convenient shortcut to say that X is always wrong? Yeah. Do most people not understand that it's a convenient shortcut rather than an absolute? in my experience oh holy fuck yes.)
...I have no idea if this comment makes sense, oh god, I'm so exhausted right now. I'm sorry if I've said something terrible.
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Date: 2015-12-23 04:38 am (UTC)it's complicated
why do people keep trying to reduce it to simplicity? there really aren't good simple answers. Even something like "be kind" is like - but does that mean self-harm in the name of kindness to others? how can I value myself as an individual if that's the case, which is another tenet of that system? this isn't easy, and in general I hate that people really want it to be starkly delineated when it's not (and I would even argue there isn't ANY "right" answer, just answers that are better or worse for different factions in any given situation. I broadly believe that certain things are wrong, but everything's got shadows, and I'm sure there are situations where a blanket prohibition is wrong. Do I know what they are? no. Is it a convenient shortcut to say that X is always wrong? Yeah. Do most people not understand that it's a convenient shortcut rather than an absolute? in my experience oh holy fuck yes.)
...I have no idea if this comment makes sense, oh god, I'm so exhausted right now. I'm sorry if I've said something terrible.