The other day I found a message from years ago that I sent to a friend who had emailed me to tell me that they 'had to' unfollow me on Twitter because they didn't agree with things I 'liked' on there. (For those of you not on Twitter - shut up I'm not calling it X - you can press a button shaped like a heart which puts that tweet into a list of tweets you have 'liked', which you and others can see. Some people, like me, use the like button to not only express my approval of a tweet, but also to say 'yep, I've seen this' or 'I can't read this right now, I'd like to save this and come back to it' or 'this is so dumb I want to save it so I can crack myself up later' or for any number of reasons because it is MY account and I can organise it how I want to thank you very much...)
This resonates. Currently dealing with a concerned "be kind" brigade at my University. They kindly expressed concerns to my Dean about my twitter likes/dislikes, with naturally accusations of x-phobia. Very much agree with the final sentiment. Sorry to read that you had to go through this.
Couldn’t agree more - I’m getting very fed up of all this performative “empathy” from people who do nothing useful. In fact I’ve been reading a lot recently about how it’s actually having a negative impact as people no longer feel like they should have to deal with any negative experience and instead of developing skills to deal with things.
Great piece - I really think that those who haven’t been through this situation don’t really understand it, or really believe what some people can be capable of.
Or maybe they are just really good at justifying why it is ‘ok’ in this instance to put someone right etc.
The one good thing that has come from being bullied myself is being able to spot those behaviours and stay well away from those people if I can!
It is astonishing how many who claim they're all about empathy seem to have so little ability - and even worse no desire - to see why others might in think differently in good faith.
I mean, I think Brexit is *terrible*, and wish so much the damn referendum had never happened. But once it was called, and after the vote when the outcome was still up in the air, the thing that destroyed any chance of us staying was the attitude of so many prominent pro-remainers. All brexit voters were apparently either duped fools too thick to see the truth, or malign racists. If more effort had been put into trying to properly understand why people felt being in the EU wasn't working for them and their families, solutions could have been offered. Instead some gleefully turned it into a purity test that seemed designed to drive away more than it persuaded.
Ditto some of the big issues of the day. If the the right are exploiting legitimate concerns people have the correct response isn't to declare anyone who scares those concerns a facist, but to offer progressive solutions. But no, it's all grist to the purity test mill.
Anyway, like I say. Brilliant again, your writings are always a treat. Keep on keeping on!
This resonates. Currently dealing with a concerned "be kind" brigade at my University. They kindly expressed concerns to my Dean about my twitter likes/dislikes, with naturally accusations of x-phobia. Very much agree with the final sentiment. Sorry to read that you had to go through this.
Sorry you have been hurt.
Remember you are loving and loved.
Totally agree do a kindness for another because you wish them to be happy.
Couldn’t agree more - I’m getting very fed up of all this performative “empathy” from people who do nothing useful. In fact I’ve been reading a lot recently about how it’s actually having a negative impact as people no longer feel like they should have to deal with any negative experience and instead of developing skills to deal with things.
There was a good article in the Atlantic about the impact of trigger warnings: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/09/trigger-warnings-feminism-teen-girls-mental-health/674759/
Great piece - I really think that those who haven’t been through this situation don’t really understand it, or really believe what some people can be capable of.
Or maybe they are just really good at justifying why it is ‘ok’ in this instance to put someone right etc.
The one good thing that has come from being bullied myself is being able to spot those behaviours and stay well away from those people if I can!
Sorry you have been hurt.
I to have been bullied most of my life and your right, the bullies never seem to recognise that their the bullies.
Remember you are a loving and
loved special person.
I Totally agree, do kindness for another because you wish them to be happy, you could be the only person that has smiled at them in a long time💜🦉
Brilliant again.
It is astonishing how many who claim they're all about empathy seem to have so little ability - and even worse no desire - to see why others might in think differently in good faith.
I mean, I think Brexit is *terrible*, and wish so much the damn referendum had never happened. But once it was called, and after the vote when the outcome was still up in the air, the thing that destroyed any chance of us staying was the attitude of so many prominent pro-remainers. All brexit voters were apparently either duped fools too thick to see the truth, or malign racists. If more effort had been put into trying to properly understand why people felt being in the EU wasn't working for them and their families, solutions could have been offered. Instead some gleefully turned it into a purity test that seemed designed to drive away more than it persuaded.
Ditto some of the big issues of the day. If the the right are exploiting legitimate concerns people have the correct response isn't to declare anyone who scares those concerns a facist, but to offer progressive solutions. But no, it's all grist to the purity test mill.
Anyway, like I say. Brilliant again, your writings are always a treat. Keep on keeping on!