[shut up & learn or learn to shut up]
Jul. 26th, 2006 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaOkay, I think the thing that actually bothers me about the latest 'omg, slash is OOC!!1 no artistic integrity, oh noes!' wank is basically some people's continuing inability to recognize this simple truth: not all opinions are created equal. There, I said it :P
Consequently, saying 'I'm entitled to my opinion' and 'you're persecuting my freedom of speech, you OPPRESSORS!!1' may be true as far as that goes, but it's a fundamentally flawed argument, because basically being 'entitled' to a stupid & uninformed opinion doesn't mean anyone has to respect or accept it. I personally, in fact, hereby REFUSE to accept or respect uninformed opinions everywhere, given they involve claiming things in absolutes and generalizing & otherwise pretending authority they do not have. Though as I realized from my days of pre-HP-reading meta, people often don't understand when someone isn't pretending authority, but be that as it may ><;;;
Yep, the -thing- that makes an opinion less worthy than another on the same subject is how informed the person is about the subject of said opinion. In other words, if you're uninformed (perfectly within your rights if you're disinterested) and yet you feel the need to publically(!) (or even privately, it's annoying) make generalized absolute-sounding judgments-- that, my friends, is where it begins to sound like prejudice.
I think it's the mark of a minimally intelligent person that they realize when they're full of crap and/or talking out of their arse 'cause they don't really have a good understanding of their subject. If, in fact, I feel the person in question realizes this, I don't care -what- they say. A properly disclaimed opinion becomes just embarrassing (for them later) rather than, you know, offensive to people who know how wrong they are and may be painted with an unfair brush by said opinion.
This is sort of a blurry edge between true prejudice and a mere typical judgmental mentality (like, the way my mom isn't really 'homophobic' specifically so much as she doesn't have a clue-- but in some ways it's effectively the same, though the point is she told me she wouldn't say this in public & only confidentially to me 'cause she knows she's uninformed); however, I personally am usually offended by people who speak as if they know when really they don't (...meaning, yeah, I'm offended by most people at some point in time, so. :P ahahaha...ha).
And the question was raised in the comments to the original post whether it's the responsibility of the people who know to educate those that don't, rather it being the responsibility of those that don't to, you know, either get a clue or shut up if they have no clue & don't want one (or disclaim, disclaim, disclaim & explain how 'yes I know I'm out on a limb', etc).
This actually sort of bothers me... the idea it's my (collective) fault people are stupid and/or don't bother to do their research. It's not my fault; I'd be happy to explain if they didn't come into it with blinders on and a desire to make pronouncements rather than, you know, LEARN. I'm not going to force people to learn, nor think it's my responsibility to let them know there's more -to- learn if they don't. 'Cause dude, any idiot knows there's always more to learn :P
(Which is why my rants get repetitive-- ever notice how I only rant about things I knowway too much about? I mean, can you imagine me ranting on and on about genfic?...Yeah.)
Consequently, saying 'I'm entitled to my opinion' and 'you're persecuting my freedom of speech, you OPPRESSORS!!1' may be true as far as that goes, but it's a fundamentally flawed argument, because basically being 'entitled' to a stupid & uninformed opinion doesn't mean anyone has to respect or accept it. I personally, in fact, hereby REFUSE to accept or respect uninformed opinions everywhere, given they involve claiming things in absolutes and generalizing & otherwise pretending authority they do not have. Though as I realized from my days of pre-HP-reading meta, people often don't understand when someone isn't pretending authority, but be that as it may ><;;;
Yep, the -thing- that makes an opinion less worthy than another on the same subject is how informed the person is about the subject of said opinion. In other words, if you're uninformed (perfectly within your rights if you're disinterested) and yet you feel the need to publically(!) (or even privately, it's annoying) make generalized absolute-sounding judgments-- that, my friends, is where it begins to sound like prejudice.
I think it's the mark of a minimally intelligent person that they realize when they're full of crap and/or talking out of their arse 'cause they don't really have a good understanding of their subject. If, in fact, I feel the person in question realizes this, I don't care -what- they say. A properly disclaimed opinion becomes just embarrassing (for them later) rather than, you know, offensive to people who know how wrong they are and may be painted with an unfair brush by said opinion.
This is sort of a blurry edge between true prejudice and a mere typical judgmental mentality (like, the way my mom isn't really 'homophobic' specifically so much as she doesn't have a clue-- but in some ways it's effectively the same, though the point is she told me she wouldn't say this in public & only confidentially to me 'cause she knows she's uninformed); however, I personally am usually offended by people who speak as if they know when really they don't (...meaning, yeah, I'm offended by most people at some point in time, so. :P ahahaha...ha).
And the question was raised in the comments to the original post whether it's the responsibility of the people who know to educate those that don't, rather it being the responsibility of those that don't to, you know, either get a clue or shut up if they have no clue & don't want one (or disclaim, disclaim, disclaim & explain how 'yes I know I'm out on a limb', etc).
This actually sort of bothers me... the idea it's my (collective) fault people are stupid and/or don't bother to do their research. It's not my fault; I'd be happy to explain if they didn't come into it with blinders on and a desire to make pronouncements rather than, you know, LEARN. I'm not going to force people to learn, nor think it's my responsibility to let them know there's more -to- learn if they don't. 'Cause dude, any idiot knows there's always more to learn :P
(Which is why my rants get repetitive-- ever notice how I only rant about things I know
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*stirs pot*
Date: 2006-07-26 04:49 pm (UTC)Re: *stirs pot*
Date: 2006-07-27 02:58 am (UTC)Um. I think she should've referenced/explained that directly for it to hold water as an 'excuse' or source for opinion (though normally, this being fandom, that would cross the line into her being seen as a troll, ahahaha). She was using other, English-major-type excuses like 'artistic integrity' or whatever, which annoys me rather than religious excuses which just make me roll my eyes 'cause people are (hopefully harmless, but then this -is- fandom) wackos. So yeah, it's okay to be influenced by religious convinctions as long as you realize where your beliefs are coming from and label them accordingly. It's all about disclaiming yourself when you're full of crap (OR OTHER THINGS!! haha) as I said :))
...it's really scary how many uses there are for the Demon Llama icon... -.-;;