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What about the bias in favor of your own family? E.g., if two small children were drowning and you could only save one--all things being equal, would you choose your daughter over a stranger's child?
I think that's a good justification for bias. Therefore, this post is unnecessary.
Or if you were out dress shopping, and liked one dress more than the other, and so you bought that dress? I'm OK with that, too.
We can't all pursue our ideologies at the expense of everyone's feelings. Lord knows I try, sometimes, but I think the number-one most-important thing I learned after graduating college, where ideologies rule, is that... ideologies don't rule. People do. And you have to deal with their quirks and biases and their moments of "I don't want to think about the larger implications right now, I'm hurt and upset and frustrated and need support." And you can maybe try to lead them into what you think are more constructive ways of dealing with their hurt and their pain, but unless they're about to use it to actually accomplish, I dunno, invading another country or something, forcing ideology down people's throats, or valuing it above people's feelings, is generally rude and hurtful.
I don't really care if anyone here is 100% consistent with his or her ideology. I'd like for us all to be 100% consistent with our compassion and patience. And I think the administration and members here do a damned good job of encouraging that.
If you find yourself getting angry here, mcgraw, then the site is failing you, and yes, maybe I'm failing you.
I'm sorry about that, but this place is not going to be a good match for everybody. Leave, and come back when and if you feel like it. I'll be glad to see you.
alright god damnit, everyone needs to shut up for a minute and dance. Right now. I'm serious. Do it. Do it. Enough of this talk about leaving - we are all strong and good people here. One thing we all have - booties, so I wanna see them moving. Now. I'm at werk and I'm doing it. And I'm bumping my shit up, since everyone else is: GoGo Mecha.
Seriously mcgraw, don't leave, it's good to get things out every now and then. I bet you everyone learned something from all this, especially Taz and Hugh. And that's the point, eh? I'm sure I'm wrong about lots of stuff, but I'm more than willing to have my mind changed and challenged, in fact I encourage that.
Actually, don't tell me. I spent enough time last night reading a single MetaTalk thread to fill my drama quota for the week. If whatever happened seemed that bad, mcgraw, I assure you that a visit to the grey would put it in perspective for you.
Hugh is gone? I thought he was just "backing off". Oh dear.
And McGraw, don't go. It's not worth it over this.
And I agree with occhiblu: I don't really care if anyone here is 100% consistent with his or her ideology. I'd like for us all to be 100% consistent with our compassion and patience. And I think the administration and members here do a damned good job of encouraging that.
Maybe I'm just perverse, but I don't think anything especially bad went down here. Rather, hugh's reaction to the thread and the ensuing discussion, was a much better way of dealing with a flip generalization than the mefi style reflexive dismissal mixed with insults. We were all reminded about the pointlessness of generalizations - for the record, I agree with Hugh - but the fact that we bothered to discuss this is encouraging. I'd always rather hear someone say why they dislike one of my remarks than hear a terse "stfu asshole" type remark.
I just deleted a long comment post. What I really want to say is that i want what's best for you McG. You get to decide what that is. This is a relationship, a community. And no community is gonna get it right all the time. Honestly, i don’t always feel that i belong here either. I am just grateful for the opportunity to not judge you or anyones choice(s).
We may not actually know each other but i do wish you well. And i’m sure i speak for everyone here when i say, “we’ll leave the light on for ya.”