I was in some groups recently that were all about changing society and building stronger and happier communities and I noticed a couple of posts. One was referring to people who were "less than white" and the other was sexist.
In the "less than white post" I wasn't taken seriously at all when I objected to the wording, instead I got a giant "fart" picture which was meant to be about perspective. When I asked well how do you feel about being treated like no one important or less than others, they all saw that as shameful yet couldn't even see that just assuming someone was "less than white" would be anything but perfectly acceptable way to describe others. I think in the end the author of the post meant: different, but words definitely matter. Another person told me that white people were also the victim of racism, but the author is living in the US, the group is primarily white and also the culture.
I was appalled.
Secondly the sexist post I was told by man after man after man that the post wasn't sexist. Mob rules.
A better community - I think not.
But I began to think this was an Orwellian move or perhaps it brings out the conspiracy theorist in me. You see people spend their time talking to others to be told to adhere to the status quo. Yet people join hoping to create a better world - perhaps they will get their better world by having a community of people who all think exactly alike and while it is nice to live in an echo chamber it is not changing anything.
This is where I get to the conspiracy theory, if you want to change the world what better than to join a group of like minded people - there you can be monitored for your level of dissidence and spin your wheels not actually achieving anything and in the process merely reinforce the status quo. So basically these groups on facebook, and these particular groups aren't the only ones, are just to ossify dissatisfaction with the current world.
It is not until we really challenge ourselves will we truly change. And that society's fabric starts with how we treat other people. We should start with the premise that we are all equal.
In the "less than white post" I wasn't taken seriously at all when I objected to the wording, instead I got a giant "fart" picture which was meant to be about perspective. When I asked well how do you feel about being treated like no one important or less than others, they all saw that as shameful yet couldn't even see that just assuming someone was "less than white" would be anything but perfectly acceptable way to describe others. I think in the end the author of the post meant: different, but words definitely matter. Another person told me that white people were also the victim of racism, but the author is living in the US, the group is primarily white and also the culture.
I was appalled.
Secondly the sexist post I was told by man after man after man that the post wasn't sexist. Mob rules.
A better community - I think not.
But I began to think this was an Orwellian move or perhaps it brings out the conspiracy theorist in me. You see people spend their time talking to others to be told to adhere to the status quo. Yet people join hoping to create a better world - perhaps they will get their better world by having a community of people who all think exactly alike and while it is nice to live in an echo chamber it is not changing anything.
This is where I get to the conspiracy theory, if you want to change the world what better than to join a group of like minded people - there you can be monitored for your level of dissidence and spin your wheels not actually achieving anything and in the process merely reinforce the status quo. So basically these groups on facebook, and these particular groups aren't the only ones, are just to ossify dissatisfaction with the current world.
It is not until we really challenge ourselves will we truly change. And that society's fabric starts with how we treat other people. We should start with the premise that we are all equal.
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