The Coddling of the American Mind

[mule_eer]

I'll note that this is a long article, but it's a good read. It does a good dive into the whole trend of microaggression and trigger warnings that are becoming more and more prevalent in society - the perceived victimization of everyone and everything.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/

 

[WVPATX]

I'll note that this is a long article, but it's a good read. It does a good dive into the whole trend of microaggression and trigger warnings that are becoming more and more prevalent in society - the perceived victimization of everyone and everything.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/

Terrific article. I've been posting about this nonsense for a long time. However it's not just the students but the faculty and administration are equally responsible. And now men are being held to ridiculous treatment with respect to sexual-harassment. There is no due process whatsoever and it is destroying innocent lives. Colleges and universities are no way preparing the students for real life .

 

[PriddyBoy]

Good read. I believe one of the biggest challenges for society will be outgrowing overgeneralizing. It's hard not to generalize groups of people, especially with some of the rhetoric we are bombarded with daily. The 'blacks', 'white folk' (Obama uses that one), 'gays', etc. In other words 'They' or 'Them.'

Insult me all you want, but please, don't assign me to a community.

My advice to students: If you disagree with a professor's view(s), nod in agreement. Free thought is rarely accepted in college, be it Wisconson or Bob Jones. Why risk a letter grade or two on principles. Watch, listen, and experience life. Early 20s may be too soon to chisel your perception of the world into stone. Imo, one should never set their sense of reality in stone.

Just to have fun with macro-barbarianism (macrobarbs) I'll end with: Socialists need to take math again.

 

[mule_eer]

My concern about this is what happens when the overly sensitive reach the workplace. When people are sensitive to words used innocently, you can't even have a conversation without fear of reprisal. Honestly, I feel like I've led a relatively charmed life. Not that I never had any hardships, but I look back at what my parents survived - son of a WWII veteran and an orphan of the same war - and I have never had a legitimate reason to gripe in comparison. Somehow, some segments of our society have lost sight of this though. They are traumatized by something that happens in a fictional novel or feel put upon by the callous use of "violate" when discussing someone breaking a law. We can't survive as a society if we are going to be that sensitive.

 

[dolemitebmf]

My concern about this is what happens when the overly sensitive reach the workplace. When people are sensitive to words used innocently, you can't even have a conversation without fear of reprisal. Honestly, I feel like I've led a relatively charmed life. Not that I never had any hardships, but I look back at what my parents survived - son of a WWII veteran and an orphan of the same war - and I have never had a legitimate reason to gripe in comparison. Somehow, some segments of our society have lost sight of this though. They are traumatized by something that happens in a fictional novel or feel put upon by the callous use of "violate" when discussing someone breaking a law. We can't survive as a society if we are going to be that sensitive.

Great post, mule.

 

[JLW71073]

My concern about this is what happens when the overly sensitive reach the workplace. When people are sensitive to words used innocently, you can't even have a conversation without fear of reprisal. Honestly, I feel like I've led a relatively charmed life. Not that I never had any hardships, but I look back at what my parents survived - son of a WWII veteran and an orphan of the same war - and I have never had a legitimate reason to gripe in comparison. Somehow, some segments of our society have lost sight of this though. They are traumatized by something that happens in a fictional novel or feel put upon by the callous use of "violate" when discussing someone breaking a law. We can't survive as a society if we are going to be that sensitive.

Well said.

 

[DvlDog4WVU]

My concern about this is what happens when the overly sensitive reach the workplace. When people are sensitive to words used innocently, you can't even have a conversation without fear of reprisal. Honestly, I feel like I've led a relatively charmed life. Not that I never had any hardships, but I look back at what my parents survived - son of a WWII veteran and an orphan of the same war - and I have never had a legitimate reason to gripe in comparison. Somehow, some segments of our society have lost sight of this though. They are traumatized by something that happens in a fictional novel or feel put upon by the callous use of "violate" when discussing someone breaking a law. We can't survive as a society if we are going to be that sensitive.

While I agree with you, I think it's easy to snap back from. All of this is faux outrage. You see it on this board all the time with people just looking for an excuse to be offended about something. In the current climate of today's society, everyone buckles to the pressure of the faux outrage and gives an equally fake apology and moves on. Those who were outraged feel like they made a difference in something and move on, because in the end, that is all they want is to feel like they matter in some way.

When people start standing up to this horseshit and telling the outraged to get fvcked you'll see it go away and back to normal. Right now, it continues unabated because we allow it. Nobody wants to be tagged a "insert whatever characterization here". It's coming, Trump might have started it.

 

[WhiteTailEER]

While I agree with you, I think it's easy to snap back from. All of this is faux outrage. You see it on this board all the time with people just looking for an excuse to be offended about something. In the current climate of today's society, everyone buckles to the pressure of the faux outrage and gives an equally fake apology and moves on. Those who were outraged feel like they made a difference in something and move on, because in the end, that is all they want is to feel like they matter in some way.

When people start standing up to this horseshit and telling the outraged to get fvcked you'll see it go away and back to normal. Right now, it continues unabated because we allow it. Nobody wants to be tagged a "insert whatever characterization here". It's coming, Trump might have started it.

A very good original post from Mule_Eer and equally good response.

I will give my take on this, and that it's that we have it too good. It is a credit to all of those that came before us that we have it this good now, but if you aren't truly suffering, the little things seem like big things. Last century we had WWI and all of the families that had fathers that didn't come home from that, and that was only 30 years after the Civil War. So the people in WWI were children of Civil War veterans. Women earned equal rights and the ability to vote back in the 20's.

Then we had the Great Depression (where there was true suffering) followed by WWII, which was followed by the Korean War and Vietnam.

All during that time, the blacks were truly suffering and truly oppressed. The Civil Rights movement in the early 60's was a huge step in removing that oppression but at the same time true change takes a generation or two.

We have it easy now. Everybody has it way easier than they are recognizing. If non-Christians were truly being oppressed. Jailed, killed. They wouldn't get fussy over the 10 Commandments being in front of a court house or a picture of Jesus being displayed in a public school. If Christians were truly being oppressed, jailed, killed, in this country, they wouldn't get fussy over whether or not 2 guys can get married.

I'm grateful for the way things are. I've had hard times in my life, and am facing harder times to come. There is no sense in getting fussy over little things that ultimately have zero impact on my life.

 

[mneilmont]

While I agree with you, I think it's easy to snap back from. All of this is faux outrage. You see it on this board all the time with people just looking for an excuse to be offended about something. In the current climate of today's society, everyone buckles to the pressure of the faux outrage and gives an equally fake apology and moves on. Those who were outraged feel like they made a difference in something and move on, because in the end, that is all they want is to feel like they matter in some way.

When people start standing up to this horseshit and telling the outraged to get fvcked you'll see it go away and back to normal. Right now, it continues unabated because we allow it. Nobody wants to be tagged a "insert whatever characterization here". It's coming, Trump might have started it.

If the country is to survive, someone is going to have to make a stand or the apologists are going to consume us.