This was really interesting, thank you. I didn't understand the particular event or posting that led to your family beginning to shun you, can you explain? Was it that you argued at the party and the effect was delayed, or was it an immediate reaction to your Sowell post?
To give you some hope, this kind of stuff is how cults work, of c…
This was really interesting, thank you. I didn't understand the particular event or posting that led to your family beginning to shun you, can you explain? Was it that you argued at the party and the effect was delayed, or was it an immediate reaction to your Sowell post?
To give you some hope, this kind of stuff is how cults work, of course, by encouraging groupthink to the exclusion of family. I have worked to save people from cult influence in the past. My hope is that the pandemic's psychologic and economic impacts are making this cult attractive short term but that rationality prevails in the medium term and beyond. The cult influence was always catching victims in a moment of weakness in their lives for various reasons, mental health or other crises. This time it's just that so many people are in that kind of moment at once.
The OP stated it was something (a quote, an article?) by Thomas Sowell, who is a black conservative thinker. Whether the IG post was a quote or a link to an article, or frankly, even just Sowell's picture, that is enough to get you canceled with this crowd. It is telling that these folks not only refuse to listen to counter arguments, but more than that...refuse to acknowledge or allow other points of view. (Compared to the OP who read White Fragility as have many who are not part of the "woke" cult.)
Thanks for your thoughts. MO - is Thomas Sowell is one of the most intelligent, educated HUMANS alive today. His life experience alone qualifies him to have views and observations that TO ME are meaningful and significant. I learned that he’s black several days after reading some of his quotes. this Interested me to learn more about him
I listen to the opinions of others but in these past couple of months have lost tolerance for cancel culture and brainless statements. There is no give and take or mutual education. NO ONE is required to agree with or care what i think but honestly
Unfortunately it is common today in terms of political views. But it's old news in terms of social mores - think about how societies create disincentives to marital infidelity by the same kind of threat of social ostracization.
I think your family doesn't know Sowell is black. Not that that should matter, but of course it does. I would just slowly kill them with kindness and find ways to insert the truth in front of as many of them as possible. This is but a moment in time, and many are not far from getting to 2 if you show them 1 and 1. I can't tell you how many liberal relatives of mine who never would have turned to conservative news sources before now seek these out for perspective. Assume that all of your relatives are simply in need of perspective because they are busy and have only seen MSM, and still trust it for now. That will change.
The first event was when her issue was police brutality. i gave some facts/stats about the actual percentage of police on black killings. I conceded that excessive force is something we should look at. She said that will never happen as long as “white people” run things. It was weeks later that i posted the TS quote re: the word racism is like ketchup u can spread it on everything and asking for evidence gets u labeled a racist. I believe the other TS quote is about individual responsibility.
UPDATE: im posting this because i want people to know this sort of thing can happen to you. U may be familiar w Brett Weinstein but know that it is no longer limited to academics, celebrities or journalists.
After receiving several disgusting & hateful dm’s from my niece’s friends ( ID’d them by content though ive never heard of them) i blocked IG went private AND shut down Twitter. Ive not been on FB for years except a brief relapse a couple of years back.
One of the DMs said “if you block me i will just set up a new account...” blah blah (?????) something that made absolutely no sense. I figured - fine its over. I recvd some weird follow requests (ignored and screenshot).
ONE WEEK later i was contacted by my employer’s corporate ethics group re a tip they received on the hotline . I wont go into specifics because now im basically paranoid (mission accomplished right?).
Dissent=public shaming, Ignore = active destruction of reputation and livelihood.
I dont know what will happen next. Only a few weeks ago i was “the best aunt ever.” The fact that anyone - especially a close family member can do this with or without any kind of conversation Shows just how insidious and malevolent this sickness can be. Everyone, Duck and Cover
Much of the negativity towards these wedge issues are worn out tropes from the right. Most of the younger set haven't been around long enough to have lived through the whole "pull yourself up by your boot straps" crap of the Reagan era or the "welfare mother millionaire" BS that the right used in the 80's and early 90's when the elite really began to divide people and bring about the scorched earth politics of the mid 90's.
This was really interesting, thank you. I didn't understand the particular event or posting that led to your family beginning to shun you, can you explain? Was it that you argued at the party and the effect was delayed, or was it an immediate reaction to your Sowell post?
To give you some hope, this kind of stuff is how cults work, of course, by encouraging groupthink to the exclusion of family. I have worked to save people from cult influence in the past. My hope is that the pandemic's psychologic and economic impacts are making this cult attractive short term but that rationality prevails in the medium term and beyond. The cult influence was always catching victims in a moment of weakness in their lives for various reasons, mental health or other crises. This time it's just that so many people are in that kind of moment at once.
The OP stated it was something (a quote, an article?) by Thomas Sowell, who is a black conservative thinker. Whether the IG post was a quote or a link to an article, or frankly, even just Sowell's picture, that is enough to get you canceled with this crowd. It is telling that these folks not only refuse to listen to counter arguments, but more than that...refuse to acknowledge or allow other points of view. (Compared to the OP who read White Fragility as have many who are not part of the "woke" cult.)
Thanks for your thoughts. MO - is Thomas Sowell is one of the most intelligent, educated HUMANS alive today. His life experience alone qualifies him to have views and observations that TO ME are meaningful and significant. I learned that he’s black several days after reading some of his quotes. this Interested me to learn more about him
I listen to the opinions of others but in these past couple of months have lost tolerance for cancel culture and brainless statements. There is no give and take or mutual education. NO ONE is required to agree with or care what i think but honestly
Do normal families do this?
It is surreal.
Unfortunately it is common today in terms of political views. But it's old news in terms of social mores - think about how societies create disincentives to marital infidelity by the same kind of threat of social ostracization.
I think your family doesn't know Sowell is black. Not that that should matter, but of course it does. I would just slowly kill them with kindness and find ways to insert the truth in front of as many of them as possible. This is but a moment in time, and many are not far from getting to 2 if you show them 1 and 1. I can't tell you how many liberal relatives of mine who never would have turned to conservative news sources before now seek these out for perspective. Assume that all of your relatives are simply in need of perspective because they are busy and have only seen MSM, and still trust it for now. That will change.
The first event was when her issue was police brutality. i gave some facts/stats about the actual percentage of police on black killings. I conceded that excessive force is something we should look at. She said that will never happen as long as “white people” run things. It was weeks later that i posted the TS quote re: the word racism is like ketchup u can spread it on everything and asking for evidence gets u labeled a racist. I believe the other TS quote is about individual responsibility.
UPDATE: im posting this because i want people to know this sort of thing can happen to you. U may be familiar w Brett Weinstein but know that it is no longer limited to academics, celebrities or journalists.
After receiving several disgusting & hateful dm’s from my niece’s friends ( ID’d them by content though ive never heard of them) i blocked IG went private AND shut down Twitter. Ive not been on FB for years except a brief relapse a couple of years back.
One of the DMs said “if you block me i will just set up a new account...” blah blah (?????) something that made absolutely no sense. I figured - fine its over. I recvd some weird follow requests (ignored and screenshot).
ONE WEEK later i was contacted by my employer’s corporate ethics group re a tip they received on the hotline . I wont go into specifics because now im basically paranoid (mission accomplished right?).
Dissent=public shaming, Ignore = active destruction of reputation and livelihood.
I dont know what will happen next. Only a few weeks ago i was “the best aunt ever.” The fact that anyone - especially a close family member can do this with or without any kind of conversation Shows just how insidious and malevolent this sickness can be. Everyone, Duck and Cover
Much of the negativity towards these wedge issues are worn out tropes from the right. Most of the younger set haven't been around long enough to have lived through the whole "pull yourself up by your boot straps" crap of the Reagan era or the "welfare mother millionaire" BS that the right used in the 80's and early 90's when the elite really began to divide people and bring about the scorched earth politics of the mid 90's.