I watched an amazing video by YouTube presenter Contra Points who presents very delicate conversations in ways that are not only engaging but thought provoking. In this video she expressed how bigotry is a way to shut out those that are oppressed, and I agree with her, as an author, I often think about these concepts to prevent harm to those that are of communities that I care about.
As much as I believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant, it does not make it right to express views that are harmful to us, and harmful to society as a whole. What you think, be it right or wrong, belongs to you, but that does not make it something that is free from consequences when you espouse views that are not acceptable in an equal society.
I do think that cancel culture is slightly out of control, but whether that is just because we can ‘see’ it more and ‘experience’ it more or whether it is really pervasive. Sometimes it is well deserved as the persons actions warrant them loosing a platform. Something that Contra Points mentioned is likely why it seems like the ‘world’ is smaller than it is. It’s that our social bubble is so small that these ‘counter views’ and complaints are like a tsunami that crashes over you until you feel like there is only an attack, there is no feeling of hope but instead being pushed farther and farther into your corner.
I also found truth in what she discussed in terms of our language and on how we must be careful of even slightly using language to suppress someone, even if this language seems that it is ‘protective’ of our own worldview or self view. She gave this amazing quote that expresses it well, “Ideologies of desire [a kind of prejudice] are backlashes against movements of equality; they are regressive prejudices that reinstate inequalities and distinctions when the force of movements for equality has been registered and (often unconsciously) rejected”- Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices.
Being conscious of the words we use and the way we express ourselves in writing is not curbing our freedom to speak, it is acknowledging that this freedom comes with responsibility, we are responsible to protect those that do not have a voice, do not have a way to express themselves, and that is sacred.
I personally have a lot of things I myself would not write about because of how I stand on certain views, but I think its up to the author to decide how they write and what they are comfortable with. I do not believe that backlash is suppression. It is true that it seems like the smallest voice is the loudest roar but we can and should not only look to those that hate, or complain, but look for those who are and will be reaching out to you because you made them whole and made them feel like you ‘got them’, its these voices that matter.
We can avoid these landmines by being vigilant with ourselves. Remember that you can not look at the replies, not check your reviews all the time, but we can contain ourselves, we can control the compulsion to ‘check’. I have had some malicious things said about me online, and I used to let those words affect me, but once I understood that this was unhealthy for me, and that I could never please everyone, I let go. Sometimes it takes a lot of will power not to feel that we must not always look, but its something we have to avoid when possible.
Landmines are sometimes impossible to avoid, but if nothing else, remember that you can always spend your day staring at kitten memes and embrace the world outside for a minute, maybe grab that chai tea and really just try to remember why you pursue this passion, and as Rhiannon so lovingly put it, “Don’t let the bastards get you down”.
In this video she expressed how bigotry is a way to shut out those that are oppressed and other, and I agree with that. I think as an author I often think about these concepts to prevent harm to those that are of communities that I care about.
As much as I believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant it does not make it right to express views that are harmful to us, harmful to society as a whole. What you think be it right or wrong belongs to you, but that does not make it something that is free from consequences when you espouse views that are not acceptable in an equal society.
I do think that cancel culture is slightly out of control, but whether that is just because we can ‘see’ it more and ‘experience’ it more or whether it is really pervasive. Sometimes it is well deserved as the persons actions warrant them loosing a platform, but something that Contra Points mentioned is likely why it seems like the ‘world’. Its that our social bubble is so small that these ‘counter views’ and complaints are like a tsunami that crashes over you until you feel like there is only an attack, there is no feeling of hope but instead a push farther and farther into your corner.
I also found truth in what she discussed in terms of our language and how that we must be careful of even slightly using language to suppress someone, even if this language seems that it is ‘protective’ of our own worldview or self view. She gave this amazing quote that expresses it well, “Ideologies of desire [a kind of prejudice] are backlashes against movements of equality; they are regressive prejudices that reinstate inequalities and distinctions when the force of movements for equality has been registered and (often unconsciously) rejected”-Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, The Anatomy of Prejudices.
Be conscious of the words you use and the way we express ourselves in writing is not curbing our freedom to speak, it is acknowledging that this freedom comes with responsibility, we are responsible to protect those that do not have a voice, do not have a way to express themselves, and that is sacred.
I personally have a lot of things I myself would not write about because of how I stand on certain views, but I think its up to the author to decide how they write and what they are comfortable with, but I do not believe that backlash is suppression. It is true that it seems like the smallest voice is the loudest roar but we can and should not only look to those that hate, or complaint, but look for those who are and will be reaching out to you because you made them whole and made them feel like you ‘got them’, its these voices that matter.
We can avoid these landmines by being vigilant with ourself. Remember that you can not look at replies, not check your reviews all the time, but we can contain ourselves, we can control the compulsion to ‘check’. I have had some malicious things said about me online, and I used to let those words affect me, but once I understood that this was unhealthy for me, and that I could never please everyone, I let go. Sometimes it takes a lot of will power not to feel that we must not always look, but its something we have to avoid when possible.
Landmines are sometimes impossible to avoid, but if nothing else, remember that you can always spend your day staring at kitten memes and embrace the world outside for a minute, maybe grab that chai tea and really just try to remember why you pursue this passion, and as Rhiannon so lovingly put it, “Don’t let the bastards get you down”.
