Here's something I'm thankful for: That Catherine Raeff has taken her extraordinary wisdom out of the the four walls of her former University classroom and is creating a kind of global cyber-classroom! That way, it's not just her college students that will benefit from her brilliance, but all of us who care to consider what she has to say. (More later...)
I know so many people who have changed how they identify themselves and how others perceive them. The ability to change and develop is often overlooked in cancel culture. Rather than trying to educate and hopefully change someone's perspective, the offending person is shunned. This leaves little room for growth or change. Certainly, no one should have to put up with offensive or demeaning comments or actions, and it is an individual decision whether to try to educate or cut off contact. Perhaps "willing to be educated and change one's opinions" is another facet of identity!
What a breath of fresh air, at least to me, to have someone say, "The ability to change and develop is often overlooked in cancel culture." People can and do change. In my view, the best way to move forward is to reach out, explain the hurt, and seek some way to move forward together.
This point also caught my attention, "Rather than trying to educate and hopefully change someone's perspective...", Sheri: I ask, is it possible to think that maybe, in some circumstances, that both parties -- the aggrieved and the perpetrator alike -- might both have something to learn from each other. Let's take the Al Franken example. All Franken made a joke that, a decade earlier, would have been accepted. His joke cost him his job. Now, many people look back on that incident and say that it went too far. Might his accusers have learned something if they were able to entertain that Franken's intent was harmless; that he knew the person (I think) on which the joke was played; that there is a difference between physical assault and symbolic gestures? If a genuine dialogue were to occur, both "sides" might have learned something and moved forward together. Instead, we have divisive battle between "me too" and "not me-too" -- which contributes to the festering polarizations that threaten to tear us apart... Your thoughts?
Yes, change is ubiquitous and inevitable. Wouldn’t it be a problem if people didn’t change? We would all be stuck. I saw someone tell her young child not to change anything about herself. She was being supportive of the child, but whether she likes it or not, the child will change. Actually, I bet she would end up being worried if her child didn’t change and develop. You can’t step into the same river twice and even stones are not set in stone. Of course, it would be a problem if there was only identity change and no identity continuity. Fortunately, there is both!
Interesting point about cancel culture. Not only does cancel culture overlook change, but divisiveness and polarization also promote stasis and strict adherence to one point of view.
And it would be interesting to do some research on being willing to be educated and change one’s opinions as a facet of identity.
Here's something I'm thankful for: That Catherine Raeff has taken her extraordinary wisdom out of the the four walls of her former University classroom and is creating a kind of global cyber-classroom! That way, it's not just her college students that will benefit from her brilliance, but all of us who care to consider what she has to say. (More later...)
Thank you Michael Mascolo!
I know so many people who have changed how they identify themselves and how others perceive them. The ability to change and develop is often overlooked in cancel culture. Rather than trying to educate and hopefully change someone's perspective, the offending person is shunned. This leaves little room for growth or change. Certainly, no one should have to put up with offensive or demeaning comments or actions, and it is an individual decision whether to try to educate or cut off contact. Perhaps "willing to be educated and change one's opinions" is another facet of identity!
Sheri:
What a breath of fresh air, at least to me, to have someone say, "The ability to change and develop is often overlooked in cancel culture." People can and do change. In my view, the best way to move forward is to reach out, explain the hurt, and seek some way to move forward together.
This point also caught my attention, "Rather than trying to educate and hopefully change someone's perspective...", Sheri: I ask, is it possible to think that maybe, in some circumstances, that both parties -- the aggrieved and the perpetrator alike -- might both have something to learn from each other. Let's take the Al Franken example. All Franken made a joke that, a decade earlier, would have been accepted. His joke cost him his job. Now, many people look back on that incident and say that it went too far. Might his accusers have learned something if they were able to entertain that Franken's intent was harmless; that he knew the person (I think) on which the joke was played; that there is a difference between physical assault and symbolic gestures? If a genuine dialogue were to occur, both "sides" might have learned something and moved forward together. Instead, we have divisive battle between "me too" and "not me-too" -- which contributes to the festering polarizations that threaten to tear us apart... Your thoughts?
Did you see the series in the New York Times of columnists writing about when they were wrong? One is about Al Franken https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/opinion/michelle-goldberg-al-franken.html
Thanks Sheri for the interesting comment!
Yes, change is ubiquitous and inevitable. Wouldn’t it be a problem if people didn’t change? We would all be stuck. I saw someone tell her young child not to change anything about herself. She was being supportive of the child, but whether she likes it or not, the child will change. Actually, I bet she would end up being worried if her child didn’t change and develop. You can’t step into the same river twice and even stones are not set in stone. Of course, it would be a problem if there was only identity change and no identity continuity. Fortunately, there is both!
Interesting point about cancel culture. Not only does cancel culture overlook change, but divisiveness and polarization also promote stasis and strict adherence to one point of view.
And it would be interesting to do some research on being willing to be educated and change one’s opinions as a facet of identity.