Earlier today I published a rant on the the term "extremism" and it's variants. This evening I would like to treat you to a very similar rant on the use of the words "odd" "strange" "different" "weird" etc.
It saddens me that such words have been so intrinsically linked with badness. Why is judging something to be different so decidedly negative? When did we decide this?
There are two ways in which this problem manifests. One is when people declare that you or something you have done is "weird!" and then leave it at that. This always frustrates me. If I want to know what they think, then they haven't told me. All they've said is "that's different to lots of other things I have encountered recently." So what?! Is it good different or bad different? But apparently, "good different" isn't even a thing. Or else, I know the person is trying to insult me, and am affronted to find that I am going to be insulted so poorly. "What? That's not an insult! You need to make me feel bad about myself, dammit! I demand better service!"
The second way this causes issues is when you innocently point out that something or someone is different from something else, and are bombarded with the accusation that you are insulting that thing or person. This happened on YouTube, back when I was still naively optimistic enough to comment on YouTube videos:
Commentor X: I hate gay people blah blah blah
Me: Why? Just because they're different from you?
Commentor Y (to me): ZOMG that's so homophobic! Snarl! Rage! Froth! I have gay friends and they're cool there's nothing different about them!!
You see the problem. We are being robbed of our ability to use "different" as a simple comparative term, which is what it is.
I understand that I am far from being the only one to recognise this problem. But A lot of the people who have recognised it are reacting to it in what is completely and utterly the wrong way.
Many people think the answer to this aversion to weirdness is to subscribe to the hyper-individualism pedaled by Lady Gaga and others. The reason this doesn't work is young people then proceed to feel pressure to be unique and different, which isn't much better than feeling pressure to be the same. We aren't removing social conformity, we're just changing what it looks like. Either way, people are stunted from growing into what they actually want to be.
No, the solution is to accept that "different" is neither good, nor bad. It simply is. Just as many humans have feet, and many more find it necessary to breathe oxygen, some humans are also different from others. This is perfectly natural. It is neither something to be afraid of, or something to aspire to.
And that wraps up the sermon for today.
We will now sing hymn eighty-four, "ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth, ooh, heaven is a place on earth".
It saddens me that such words have been so intrinsically linked with badness. Why is judging something to be different so decidedly negative? When did we decide this?
There are two ways in which this problem manifests. One is when people declare that you or something you have done is "weird!" and then leave it at that. This always frustrates me. If I want to know what they think, then they haven't told me. All they've said is "that's different to lots of other things I have encountered recently." So what?! Is it good different or bad different? But apparently, "good different" isn't even a thing. Or else, I know the person is trying to insult me, and am affronted to find that I am going to be insulted so poorly. "What? That's not an insult! You need to make me feel bad about myself, dammit! I demand better service!"
The second way this causes issues is when you innocently point out that something or someone is different from something else, and are bombarded with the accusation that you are insulting that thing or person. This happened on YouTube, back when I was still naively optimistic enough to comment on YouTube videos:
Commentor X: I hate gay people blah blah blah
Me: Why? Just because they're different from you?
Commentor Y (to me): ZOMG that's so homophobic! Snarl! Rage! Froth! I have gay friends and they're cool there's nothing different about them!!
You see the problem. We are being robbed of our ability to use "different" as a simple comparative term, which is what it is.
I understand that I am far from being the only one to recognise this problem. But A lot of the people who have recognised it are reacting to it in what is completely and utterly the wrong way.
Many people think the answer to this aversion to weirdness is to subscribe to the hyper-individualism pedaled by Lady Gaga and others. The reason this doesn't work is young people then proceed to feel pressure to be unique and different, which isn't much better than feeling pressure to be the same. We aren't removing social conformity, we're just changing what it looks like. Either way, people are stunted from growing into what they actually want to be.
No, the solution is to accept that "different" is neither good, nor bad. It simply is. Just as many humans have feet, and many more find it necessary to breathe oxygen, some humans are also different from others. This is perfectly natural. It is neither something to be afraid of, or something to aspire to.
And that wraps up the sermon for today.
We will now sing hymn eighty-four, "ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth, ooh, heaven is a place on earth".
A nice Belinda Carlisle reference there. Difference is hard to define in an ever expanding world. I believe that acceptance and acceptance is needed to ensure that difference is never a barrier, but a potential to something 'other'.
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