this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
72 points (91.9% liked)

Asklemmy

44005 readers
1181 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Maybe you haven't been convinced by a good enough argument. Maybe you just don't want to admit you are wrong. Or maybe the chaos is the objective, but what are you knowingly on the wrong side of?

In my case: I don't think any games are obliged to offer an easy mode. If developers want to tailor a specific experience, they don't have to dilute it with easier or harder modes that aren't actually interesting and/or anything more than poorly done numbers adjustments. BUT I also know that for the people that need and want them, it helps a LOT. But I can't really accept making the game worse so that some people get to play it. They wouldn't actually be playing the same game after all...

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 days ago

That’s not how I operate. If I know I’m on the wrong side, I change sides.

[–] atomicorange 59 points 6 days ago (6 children)

I’ll answer your question!

Pretty sure I’m on the wrong side of vegetarianism. I love animals, I think they’re worthy of love and consideration from us. I know becoming a vegetarian or vegan would reduce harm to animals, and I’m pretty sure it’s the morally correct thing to do. It’s also hard, it’s alienating, and I know every time I’ve attempted it in the past it’s triggered disordered eating.

My current stance is that society should embrace vegetarianism. If the government were to make a law granting animals status that protected them from being killed for food, I’d support that as a moral good. However, I’m not willing to be fully vegetarian in a carnivorous society, there are too many drawbacks. I know this is hypocritical and kinda intellectually pathetic of me but there it is :(

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

My mother does wildlife rescues, birds are mostly, then goes home and cooks a roast chicken.

She knows it's hypocritical. Cognitive dissonance is weird.

Also, it's not so alienating. I attend dinners with my family, and I'll eat roast vegies, and bring a side-dish for myself. Over time a few of my friends became vegan (I didn't convince them to) and it's exciting to share recipes.

If nothing else, reduce your meat intake over time.

As with most changes people make, the more drastic, the more unlikely it is to stick.

When I became vegan I was a slut for KFC burgers, and I "failed" a few times, but I just kept reminding myself it's not good for anyone, and mustered up the will power to drive past, and eat at home instead.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Klordok 3 points 4 days ago

I'm in the same boat. My girlfriend is pescatarian, mostly because she thinks animals are too cute to eat. She loves pigs and thinks they are adorable.

I agree that vegetarianism is more sustainable and humane, but I also really like carnitas burritos. I eat way more seafood now and, though she says she doesn't care, I try to avoid "farm animal" meat when we go out.

I've definitely reduced my meat consumption and I will probably continue to do so, but I'm not ready to cut it out yet. I had prime rib for Thanksgiving and it was amazing. Apologies and thanks to the cow.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It really depends on where you live. Being in BC we have so many Vegan and Vegetarian places that finding food outside of the home is easy. Visiting Calgary AB though, good luck.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Calgarian here. Can confirm.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I went to an event in Alberta, at lunch break I looked at the restaurants in the events center. My vegetarian option was French fries. The rest was hamburger, beef on a bun, beef soup, beef kebabs etc

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago

Alberta wishes it were part of the US.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 28 points 5 days ago (6 children)

Pronouns. I get that they matter a lot to some people, and of course it's super annoying (if not worse) to be referred to in the wrong way, but I find it unreasonable to demand being referred to something outside of the gender binary, simply because that's the way language works.

I am aware that English has used "they" for a person of unknown gender for ages, but for one, I don't think it's something that you should demand people call you when they actually know your gender, but also I really hate that this is making its way into other languages like my own, that has never had this convention. Inventing entirely new pronouns is just ridiculous, I have a hard enough time to remember your name.

I am also aware that language evolves, but this is not evolution, it's forced, and if one group of people can try to force a change they prefer, I'm as much in my right to resist it if I don't like it.

People are super passionate about this though and in fifty years I'm sure I'll be seen as a fossil for not getting with the times now - in fact I'm sure certain people see me like this now.

[–] BlitzoTheOisSilent 13 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Using someone's preferred pronouns is a sign of mutual respect, your refusal to do so is a sign of disrespect to those around you. It's really that simple, bud.

Do you call people Johnny when they tell you their name is John? It's literally the same thing, they've explained how they'd like to be addressed, and deviating from that uninvited is just rude.

I get that they matter a lot to some people, and of course it's super annoying (if not worse) to be referred to in the wrong way

It's dehumanizing and disrespectful, it's not annoying. I've had family members refuse to use an individual's pronouns, but in a heartbeat correct themselves for referring to a pet by the wrong pronoun. I've had people go out of their way to call me "man, guy, dude, bruh" when I'm fem presenting, and I'm the only woman they're speaking to that way while I get the "I talk like that with everyone, bruh," excuse.

and if one group of people can try to force a change they prefer, I'm as much in my right to resist it if I don't like it.

Correct, but then you don't get to complain, like you are, that people get upset with you about it. You're not free from the consequences of those around you simply because you have the right to feel differently on something like basic human respect for your fellow people.

I don't get to complain that no one wants to have dinner with me just because they don't like me taking food off their plates, even though I don't agree with that societal norm.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

There's a guy on here with great opinions and I like to hear him talk, but he refers to himself in the third person all the time and it makes it hard for me to take him seriously. It can be a real drag on the conversation to suddenly be conscious of the pronoun of an individual, when you just want to speak to them like an equal.

[–] BlitzoTheOisSilent 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

~~I know who you're talking about, drag, drag has called me a racist, Trump supporting fascist who wants drag and all of drags friends dead because I had the audacity to criticize Harris and the DNC. Drag backed off that when I pointed out to drag that I'm a trans veteran who voted for Harris.~~

~~I've never had difficulty understanding drag, and as much as I think drag is full of hot air, I respect drag enough as a fellow human to refer to drag in drag's preferred way. Drag is using the third person, this has been a trope in popular media for years and no one has complained about it.~~

Did y'all have a hard time relating to and understanding The Boulder in Avatar the Last Airbender? He refers to himself as "The Boulder" instead of his pronouns, where's the uproar around that?

Let's take it to real life: I googled it, pro wrestlers The Rock, The Big Guy, Santina Marella, Kanyon, and Stone Cold Steve Austin all regularly used the third person to refer to themselves. They used other pronouns as well, I'm not denying that, but you all act like this is some completely unheard of new thing that only these woke leftists are doing.

It's respect, full stop. It's the equivalent of someone saying their name is Rajesh and you say, "Eh, Steve is easier, I'm used to the name Steve, I can't pronounce whatever you just said so the only way we're equals is if I can just call you Steve." That's insane, y'all need to stop making excuses as to why showing respect to another individual is sooooooo hard.

~~And FYI, in writing this, I only had to go back and make three changes where I used an improper pronoun in when referring to drag. Again, if I can show basic respect to someone who called me a fascist nazi, why can't y'all do it for your friends, family, and coworkers?~~ It's not hard, and I'm 30, so it's not like I was brought up with zhe/zher/zhers and all this other stuff either my entire childhood, I didn't learn what transgender was until I was in the Navy.

Edit: Drag told me I insulted drag and lied to Lemmy by defending drag here, so I've crossed it out and will let drag defend drag's pronouns alone. Drag doesn't want my help because, in drag's own words, I'm a Nazi who purposefully misgendered drag and only wrote the above to insult and hurt drag.

Yet refuses to apologize for falsely calling me a Nazi:

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I don't have pronouns, you can only call me by my name, Shadow the Headgehog!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

We're still in the growing pains version of it, though, where there are far too many people taking advantage of a legitimate position just for the attention. This isn't unique to the gender conversation, but it definitely suffers from it.

Another issue is that there is a component of needing to be vocal and firm or no one will take you seriously, but it's a fine line between that and being obnoxious and over-asking....reminding someone who wants to be considerate is good, being offended at someone intentionally mis-labeling may be necessary, but being offended by honest mistakes or berating someone for not realizing zhe or zher or some newly defined label was a thing definitely hurts the cause.

[–] BlitzoTheOisSilent 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

We're still in the growing pains version of it, though, where there are far too many people taking advantage of a legitimate position just for the attention.

I would argue "who cares?" And please, explain to me how many "far too many" is? Because the trans population makes up under 1% of the US population, so I'm really trying to wrap my head around <1% is "far too many" of anything.

This is just excuses, I'm sorry. I get "zhe/zher/zhers" is awkward to see, but watch this: "Debra is amazing, have you had zher apple pie?"

Phew, nearly suffered an aneurysm on that one. 🙄

Another issue is that there is a component of needing to be vocal and firm or no one will take you seriously, but it's a fine line between that and being obnoxious and over-asking....reminding someone who wants to be considerate is good, being offended at someone intentionally mis-labeling may be necessary, but being offended by honest mistakes or berating someone for not realizing zhe or zher or some newly defined label was a thing definitely hurts the cause.

First, your last line is bullshit, it's the same logic that's been used for every single oppressed group asking for basic respect from their oppressors.

When women standing up against sexual harassment really started to gain national attention, the news anchors made the exact same arguments you're making now. "Oh, it's just a man being friendly! Now men won't want to hire women because they'll be sued! We've behaved this way for decades and now it's a problem? God, Debbie is such a cunt for reporting me for rubbing her shoulders, I was just trying to be nice!"

When women reported it, it was often, "They're just looking for a payout/attention! Why didn't they bring this up for the last X amount of time?! Why do women have to be so rude about it?!"

When gay marriage was being fought for, what did we hear? "Oh, can't they keep that behind closed doors? It just makes me uncomfortable, I don't think the children should see that! It's always been Adam and Eve for me, I'm 40 years old, how am I supposed to learn to use the word "partner" instead of "husband/wife"?!"

Notice how it's always the oppressed who are asking for too much, always? Always, it's always the oppressed asking for too much. But when they say, "Hey, society, can you do XYZ to show me some basic dignity and respect?" what are we met with?

"We're still in the growing pains, people are taking advantage, we need to be patient, you need to know your place and when it's ok to speak up, but make sure you know the correct amount to speak up, otherwise they have the right to just not respect you."

For fucking words, that's what y'all are doubling down on, something that costs you no money or effort beyond treating someone like a person, and respecting their reasonable request. They're not asking for you to paint their face from memory, or have their star-chart memorized and they yell at you for not knowing that Mercury was in retrograde, or chastising you for not knowing the exact date and time they were born.

If they've introduced themselves and their pronouns, and you can't be bothered to respect that, you're just a dick at best and transphobic at worst. It's really that simple, it's a sign of respect, and any excuse for why you can't use words is just an excuse to disrespect those you don't feel deserve it. And that's an internal issue the individual needs to get over, but the LGBTQ+ community doesn't need to coddle a society that can't be bothered to show them the respect of using proper pronouns.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

You seem to be primed to take everything as bad faith almost intentionally. Not understanding that arguments have two sides is what keeps conversations from happening, not what settled them. Yes, it is not a huge burden to remember someone's pronoun, but people have a lot on their mind and something that has been one way for the majority of most people's lives is absolutely going to take some time 'not to get wrong' even for people who are honestly trying, yet you act as though it's rude not to suddenly find it natural. If i told you I'd find it rude not to remember everyone's favorite color, would you jump to making an effort to learn everyone's favorite color? Now, was your first instinct when reading that example an indignant response that it was insensitive because 'favorite color' isn't as identifying as a person's gender?

I understand that many people discount a person's gender or sexual preference, or even sexual abuse in order to minimize it, use examples of people taking advantage of it, or lying about it in order to dismiss the larger group of people who have real claims and preferences and experiences.... But those things come from a real place too, and trying to bully or shame people for it is the same thing you accuse others of.

Honestly this conversation has gotten far too broad to even address all the differences of opinion we have, but if there's one thing we might be able to agree on is that people don't like being minimized, whether it's about their gender, or if it's their struggle with understanding sometimes struggle with gender. If you insist on insisting that the only valid argument is that everyone takes it as seriously as you do, you're accomplishing a net negative for the cause.

[–] BlitzoTheOisSilent 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, it is not a huge burden to remember someone's pronoun,

Then stop arguing otherwise. Stop making excuses. We get it, no one is going to get it the first time, no one is going to remember everything.

By your logic, fascists deserve a seat at the table because otherwise we can't have a discussion about fascism. Racists deserve a seat at the table because otherwise we can't see their point of view. White supremacists need a seat at the table because otherwise we'd only hear from those they hate.

But those things come from a real place too, and trying to bully or shame people for it is the same thing you accuse others of.

So you're just, again, victim blaming and refusing to show any examples of this supposed attention seeking. You got anything beyond a handful of cases over the decades?

You're right, the amount of respect a person receives should be based on the gender pronouns they use and the overwhelming inconvenience they apparently place on the general population. Yep, respect for a human being should be a debate.

When are you going to blame trans people for Harris losing like the rest of the liberal base seems ready to? I mean, we have to engage with that point of you, right, we have to tolerate the intolerant, right?

Right.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

That's where you lose the argument entirely. We don't have to tolerate the intolerant.... Nothing i said suggests that outside of your insistence on being offended. You don't tolerate the worst examples of the other side, but you at least take a breath to try to understand the well intentioned members who don't see things your way.

Except for the most extreme cases you can come up with, nothing is black and white, everything is grey, and your insistence that i must be a bad guy because i challenge anything makes you not terribly worth engaging.

Except for those baiting the conversation, everyone has reasons for feeling how they do on a topic, even if it's just defaulting to it because of their social circle, but you are not a good champion of the cause of all you can come up with is mocking straw men arguments and feigning indignance.

[–] BlitzoTheOisSilent 1 points 4 hours ago

Except for the most extreme cases you can come up with, nothing is black and white, everything is grey, and your insistence that i must be a bad guy because i challenge anything makes you not terribly worth engaging.

I'm still waiting for evidence of all of these numerous cases of people using pronouns for attention, and all these people making up sexual assault claims. You got any?

Since I've clearly lost the argument entirely (sure, bud, sure), you clearly must have a plethora of evidence and examples that actually support your claim.

This entire comment is attacking me, and nothing that I actually said, while using generalizations to paint this picture that I don't understand unless I can use extremely specific examples.

What part of "This entire debate is a debate about respect" do you not understand, and what argument is there to be had about that? I'd love to hear it, I'd love for you to actually engage with anything I've said beyond "yOu HaVe To UnDeRsTaNd ThEiR pOiNt Of ViEw."

I already covered the grey areas, if you actually what I wrote, you're just being willfully ignorant about it. "No one should be yelled at for a genuine mistake, but eventually it's not a mistake and you need to grow." Wow, yeah, whole lot of grey area in that one too, PHEW, we're demanding the world.

but you are not a good champion of the cause of all you can come up with is mocking straw men arguments and feigning indignance.

I asked you for statistical evidence to back up your claims and you've provided none, so I've had to argue your own ridiculous arguments that fell apart under the most basic scrutiny. Sorry you have a terrible take on this? That's my fault too, that's me mocking straw men arguments (so you're admitting that your arguments are all bad faith, straw men arguments, glad to hear it) and feigning indignance?

I'm not feigning anything, once again, using preferred pronouns is basic respect to another human being, and while no one should be offended by genuine mistakes, your continued defense of not showing trans people respect if their pronouns aren't up to your standard, is transphobic.

So, I apologize if someone who refuses to provide any evidence to back up their claims that there are so very many instances of people making up pronouns, or any instance of how someone requesting certain pronouns creates such an undo burden on the rest of society, isn't worth me engaging with further.

Keep making excuses for why you have it so much worse than the marginalized group who's request for respect is apparently a fucking debate.

Absolute clown.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Hugin 7 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Yeah I support trans rights. If you are consistent I'll use your preferred pronouns. I don't care what bathroom people use. Health care is between you and your doctor. I only care about what genitals you have if we are going to be doing things with each others genitals.

That said so many trans people are complete assholes about it. I'm on your side but fuck so many of you are annoying jerks.

I remember when gays started coming out of the closet and they handled it better. Polite but firm about being treated fairly. The trans community is making more foes then friends the way they are acting.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 days ago (5 children)

This might be specific to your region? Most trans people I know are grateful if you even make an effort. Even if you get it wrong sometimes.

[–] AnUnusualRelic 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

It's probably mostly a very vocal online minority. The few trans people I've come across irl (there aren't many trans people) have typically been regular people.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] greedytacothief 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (7 children)

I know a few trans or nonbinary folks. They either go by he, she, or they. I have yet to meet someone who doesn't. Then again I live in a weird progressive rural community.

But if someone asks me to refer to them a particular way, sure what not? It means more to them than it means to me.

load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 35 points 5 days ago (1 children)

OP, you've made the classic mistake of putting your opinion in the post instead of as a comment, now everyone is replying to your opinion in top level comments instead of your question.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago

This is the best practice, especially for AskLemmy but it also applies to news and other media threads. It's best to put your personal thoughts and opinions in a top-level reply, while keeping the post body to clarifications or summary of the posted question or media.

[–] TempermentalAnomaly 24 points 5 days ago (5 children)

Veganism. I don't have any problems with most vegans. Most go through a phase of trying to convert you, but the ones I know and associate with have come out the other side. We all know that these positions would make the world a better place. I don't think I have the will to do it. Might be wrong though.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] SpaceNoodle 51 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (21 children)

Adding an easy or "story" mode to a game doesn't inherently make it worse. You can still play it with difficulty cranked up to "Dark Souls" or whatever. The fact that there is a separate mode that others can use does not affect you; you need not use it yourself.

"Story mode" is actually an accessibility option in disguise: it can let people who have difficulty with fine motor control, reaction times, or understanding visual and auditory prompts to enjoy the art alongside everyone else. Instead of cheapening the game, it actually expands its influence on the world.

All that being said, no, no game is strictly obligated to be accessible, but why cheapen your art by not making it so?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago

“Story mode” is actually an accessibility option in disguise: it can let people who have difficulty with fine motor control, reaction times, or understanding visual and auditory prompts to enjoy the art alongside everyone else.

This is very insightful.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago

I mean, if you want your story to reach broad audiences, story mode is good. If you have an artistic vision and can only see your story learned as such, do that. Not supplying story mode is like not supplying condiments at a restaurant. Limiting your client base.

load more comments (19 replies)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I think TTRPGs should be unbalanced. Balance is a construct of games, and the fictional worlds the players will interact with are less immersive when everything is predictably tuned and equal. I think the fiction of a rogue being about as good as a fighter at combat is stupid. I think rust monsters and undead creatures that hurt your stats are way better than dire boars and skeletons who just shoot you with bows. I think that when rocks fall, things should die. These all contribute to the fantasy world seeming more dangerous, more 'real', like a spectral hand isn't shielding you from the worst the world has to offer.

I also recognize this is my dark fantasy bias yapping away

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago

You might be interested in GNS theory. TTRPGS try to do three things at once, be a Game, tell a Narrative, and Simulate a world. Different games will prioritize different aspects, some people want a fair challenge where they build a character according to the rules laid out to face a challenge, other people want everything to serve the story, even if it means fudging mechanics or breaking with realism, and then some people just want the simulation to be as realistic as possible.

Like many things with TTRPGs, it's table dependent and emphasizing any of those elements over the others is totally valid as long as everyone's having fun.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 days ago (5 children)

I am always on the right side of any discussion. Otherwise I wouldn't be on that side.

[–] atomicorange 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

A lot of people seem to feel this way. Don’t let it become a tautology, however. It’s your opinion because you think it’s correct, NOT it’s correct because it’s your opinion. For example, plenty of folks justify homophobia because gay people make them feel icky and never examine whether or not their intuition is actually correct. You still have a responsibility to examine your conclusions on a topic and readjust as necessary!

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] gAlienLifeform 18 points 6 days ago (10 children)

Asking (paraphrasing) "hey what are you wrong about but unwilling to admit?" and then sticking a (metaphorical) "I think Nickleback is a pretty good band" opinion in the middle of it feels like a harder challenge than the designers of AskLemmy were intending

load more comments (10 replies)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago (2 children)

There isn’t really a “right” side to that one. If developers want to disappoint some potential customers and leave money on the table by not creating an easy mode, that’s their prerogative.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] j4k3 12 points 6 days ago (20 children)

That human rights really matter in the coming upheaval. The doomsday glacier is probably insurmountable for civ to overcome and that level of change in sea level within a decade to century and a half is going to change everything. Most of the worlds cities are not viable. From what I have seen, the long estimates are all biased and unreliable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yEj9JVRhjA

On the bright side, speculative long term land investments might yield a large sum of money. Shallow keel ferry and airboat operators stand to make a fortune.

[–] gAlienLifeform 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Well, this thread was entertaining until I read this comment

Not mad though, this is what people should be talking about

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (19 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›