Obviously I speak in first person, makes zero sense, to me. I'm definitely not wise though, that's why I asked because for many of these things I often start really puzzled and after a few years of sharing some opinion someone finally says something that makes it click for me and I was hoping to see if there's something I'm missing. I'm not very "woke" by default and it requires plenty of talking and thinking for me to see the other side. And this is a discussion forum to share ideas! When you're wrong just post something online and wait, like xckd said.
I think there's validity in avoiding gratuitous mentions of some topics given some audiences, but what I'm puzzled by is the specific implementation that to me makes it worse than just not thinking about it and writing what you'd write anyway. It really makes no sense, to me.
> I'm definitely not wise though, that's why I asked because for many of these things I often start really puzzled and after a few years of sharing some opinion someone finally says something that makes it click for me and I was hoping to see if there's something I'm missing. I'm not very "woke" by default and it requires plenty of talking and thinking for me to see the other side. And this is a discussion forum to share ideas! When you're wrong just post something online and wait, like xckd said.
Well, I think that's pretty wise. Sorry to be so argumentative! :)
> I think there's validity in avoiding gratuitous mentions of some topics given some audiences, but what I'm puzzled by is the specific implementation that to me makes it worse than just not thinking about it and writing what you'd write anyway. It really makes no sense, to me.
I don't pretend to know enough about human psychology to have a certain answer, but here are my thoughts:
Words, specific words, have impacts beyond their meanings. For example, people use euphemisms all the time - gentle ways of saying something harsh - in many (all?) cultures, because they work. More generally, people say things politely rather than rudely or directly, even talking about happy things like sex, or natural things like excreting waste.
Perhaps it lessens the blow; it allows people to glance at something troubling without being retraumatized. It also signals care: Being polite communicates you care about and respect the other person; being rude conveys the opposite.
People have long made the logical point that the meaning is the same so why not say the rude thing, but clearly almost everyone feels otherwise and the words we choose have an impact beyond their meanings.
And in case it does help someone to obscure the word, why not do it?
> Obviously I speak in first person, makes zero sense, to me.
It's not obvious. People make assertions about the world all the time.
I think there's validity in avoiding gratuitous mentions of some topics given some audiences, but what I'm puzzled by is the specific implementation that to me makes it worse than just not thinking about it and writing what you'd write anyway. It really makes no sense, to me.