Microaggressions explained with movie clips

[Magical Realist]

The only thing obvious about the responses to microaggressions are their unreasoning nature. By all means, if you're intentionally insulted, stand up for yourself. But again, they are called "micro" expressly because it is unclear that any insult taken was intended. And whining about something no one intended is oversensitive, reactionary, and often unhinged. They are just as readily imagined as real, and with no objective way to tell the difference. That makes reactions to them no better than the mentally unstable raving at unseen antagonists.

But if the shoe fits...

Attacking and disparaging the victims---the last desperate stab of someone with no argument to make.

[C C]

I KNOW I'm guilty of this. It's sad that the vast majority of us don't even know we're doing it. It's time to get WOKE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjzWENcW6NQ

I liked it better back when sermons about sub-criminal conduct were given in churches, starting with Sunday School. ("Don't take away the toy your brother is playing with. Don't shove your sister. Don't pull the cat's tail. Jesus wouldn't do those things.")

Because now that micromanaging human behavior has gone secular there's no escaping the homilies. (In reality, civility discourse of yesteryear spilled into various outlets as well. Primordial latchkey kids predating WWII were probably doused in mini etiquette lectures hither and thither. But by the late '50s and early '60s exposure might have slimmed down to many depending upon The Lone Ranger, The Andy Griffith Show, etc as their only moral compass.)

Throughout life, I've encountered people (including myself, of course) privately confiding that they deplored some slight -- unintended or deliberate -- that they received from immediate family, relative, friend, acquaintance, colleague, organization member, employee of a service, etc. It's not indigenous to circumstances of different ethnicity, sex, body weight, aesthetic appearances, alignment/orientation, beliefs, lifestyle, etc. Yet inveighing on or even policing the latter is where the recognition, money, and career potential/supplement is.

Cynicism thus often tries to seep in, not too dissimilar to them ol' time days of listening to Preacher Franks or Church Lady Sara trying to micromanage us into ideal and utopian behavior. I don't expect the New Prudish Ripple to have any better success, but OTOH the situation might be worse with no soporific droning from Soapbox Alley at all.

[Syne]

Acknowledging the objective facts is not attacking nor disparaging anyone at all. And presuming it does is only your own oversensitive imagination hard at work.

[Magical Realist]

Acknowledging the objective facts is not attacking nor disparaging anyone at all. And presuming it does is only your own oversensitive imagination hard at work.

Whining, reactionary, oversensitive, unhinged, mentally unstable, and raving aren't my imagination. They're your words for the victims. Your MO again, remember? Belittling and putting down others because you enjoy it. It's what you do.

[Syne]

Yep, my words...to describe complaining about something that has zero objective evidence of actually existing, hence every single one of those words. People with a victim mentality will make themselves victims, even if they have to invent the slight out of thin air. But I understand how that's a blind spot for you.

[Magical Realist]

People with a victim mentality will make themselves victims,

Actually what makes them victims is being belittled and put down by microaggressors and people like you. It's all part of the package deal of bigotry and hatred for minorities. A fundamental fear of and uneasiness around people who are different from you.

[Syne]

No, without a victim mentality, no one can make a victim of you short of physical assault. Being a victim to words is a choice. A choice where you are granting that those words are more significant than your own evaluation of yourself.

[Secular Sanity]

No, without a victim mentality, no one can make a victim of you short of physical assault. Being a victim to words is a choice. A choice where you are granting that those words are more significant than your own evaluation of yourself.

That's not exactly true. That's why we have laws to protect us from slander, but they're probably right about microagression programs promoting a victim culture, but it’s funny, though, because one of the criticisms is that the individuals assume without verification that others are reacting negatively to them, which can cause unhealthy and destructive relationships.

If we always assume that we know what other people are feeling or thinking without clarification, we’re bound to make mistakes in our judgements. What's funny is that, that is exactly what you do. Oh, sure, you claim that you’ve tried to verify someone’s intent by asking questions but your questions are always loaded with loaded questions.

[Syne]

No, without a victim mentality, no one can make a victim of you short of physical assault. Being a victim to words is a choice. A choice where you are granting that those words are more significant than your own evaluation of yourself.

That's not exactly true. That's why we have laws to protect us from slander, but they're probably right about microagression programs promoting a victim culture, but it’s funny, though, because one of the criticisms is that the individuals assume without verification that others are reacting negatively to them, which can cause unhealthy and destructive relationships.

If we always assume that we know what other people are feeling or thinking without clarification, we’re bound to make mistakes in our judgements. What's funny is that, that is exactly what you do. Oh, sure, you claim that you’ve tried to verify someone’s intent by asking questions but your questions are always loaded with loaded questions.

Yeah, not exactly true, but true enough that it takes something being objectively damaging to make you a victim. Like objective damage to your person, loved ones, property, or reputation. None of which are done by microaggressions. They are only damaging to your psyche, and could just as readily be you shadowboxing your own worst assumptions.


Just because you cannot justify your own answers to clarifying questions does not make the questions in any way wrong to ask. If you whine about a supposed loaded question but still can't explain why it's loaded or what the supposed unloaded question should be, people can only assume you are whining to avoid the question. It's like if you were to ask me if I was still a racist. Sure, it's a loaded question (as either yes or no is still damning), but if I simply whine about that fact, without any further answer, it's fair to assume I'm avoiding the underlying assumption that I'm a racist. That's why I never do that. I may point out that the question is obviously loaded, and why, but then I always answer the underlying assumption. In this example being the fact that I've never been racist, and refuting any specific accusations thereof.

So when whining about supposed loaded questions is just a way to avoid the underlying assumption, without clarifying it, it's just avoidance. And people will tend to think that where there's smoke there's fire.

[Magical Realist]

Yeah, not exactly true, but true enough that it takes something being objectively damaging to make you a victim. Like objective damage to your person, loved ones, property, or reputation.

Nope. You can be a victim of an attack or assault even when there is no damage or injury, like being shoved, spit upon, grabbed and restrained, manhandled, hair pulled, tripped, slapped, kicked, punched, threatened with a weapon, etc. Hence injury is not necessary for microaggressions to victimize someone.

"Microaggressions: everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership."---- https://www.messiah.edu/download/downloa...ssroom.pdf