I started actively engaging in the Tumblr thing a couple of months ago. I had had a Tumblr for quite a while but became disinterested while I was planning my wedding. I got back into Tumblr and, while I do enjoy what I see, certain parts of it have become... interesting.

Anyone who has been on Tumblr long enough knows about the Social Justice Warriors. The people who write blogs about discrimination and reblog others' posts about it who spend so much energy on the topic and direct their opinions is the totally wrong direction (to the point of extremism, or worse), and it drives all of the sane Tumblr users nuts.

I encountered my first SJW quite a bit ago when a friend of mine (who would be an SJW if she didn't have a brain) reblogged a post from one of these kinds of people. It said:

the reason I’ve stopped saying “most men/some white people/many straight people do X oppressive activity” is because if you’re a member of those groups, I want you to sit there and think, “do I do X? am I a part of that? am I an active part of the problem?”

if I say that only most or some people in those groups participates in X, that’s letting you off the hook! that means that you’re not asked to think about your actions and choices!

and besides, even if you yourself aren’t doing X, chances are you know at least five people who do. and I want you to think about them too.

So, I can understand where this person is coming from... except, of course, usually my reaction to hearing, "All straight people think that gay men are drama queens" I would say, "Um, no, pretty sure that's not true?"

My friend, who by the way is biracial and female, responded:

lol no generalizing even ‘privileged groups’ to try and guilt people to becoming your allies is wrong. People with your kind of logic are messed up. This is why the way tumblr does things really only works within the magically world of online and not real life. F’d up.

Things got interesting after that.

SJW:

holy cow what is it with you people and hating ~~generalizations

also who said anything about guilting people into becoming my allies

Friend:

The fact that you say “you people” and you don’t know shit about the individual you are communicating to. There lies the problem.

Bravo! Totally agreed.

I wanted to let her know that I was on her side, so I decided to chime in:

I am with you [Friend]. When people make generalizations it doesn’t make them think if they do that action. It makes them think, “Bullshit, I don’t do that” and dismiss everything else that you have to say. Even if they DO do that oppressive thing. Because no one wants to believe that they are wrong.

 

The only way to reach people is through compassion and reason. Saying “white men do this” instead of getting straight to the point about how one human being should be treating another human being, you are trying to manipulate an emotional response from people who, if they put up walls as soon as someone tries it, will not hear what you have to say, even if what you say is true.

So I thought that was pretty intelligent, reasonable, and kind. I gave myself a pat on the back for that one.

Too bad SJW had other things to say:

I’ve come to the conclusion that the only people who say stuff like this are the ones who consciously choose not to listen when others talk about oppression so they can have an excuse for not listening.

"through compassion and reason" lolllllllll

Um.

So SJW sees one post from me and assumes that I must plug my ears whenever I hear people talk about oppression? Gosh, either she's the greatest Internet psychologist ever for being able to deduce my behavior through one Tumblr post, or there's something wrong. F'd up indeed, Friend.

This entire thing would have made better conversation if:

1. It wasn't a strawman

2. Or a false cause

3. Or if the whole thing wasn't an appeal to emotion

4. The SJW never used a personal attack against me because of my post, otherwise known as an ad hominem

5. She could take criticism and didn't have to rely on tu quoque

6. She didn't think that white straight men are by nature oppressive - genetic

7. She could admit that these issues aren't black or white

8. She didn't laugh at the idea of being compassionate and reasonable - essentially dismissing my argument/suggestion without a real explanation why.

It goes on.

Someone else chimed in at this point, agreeing with me:

Word. Using generalizations only spreads misinformation and alienates the supporters within the group you’re trying to call out, plus like [RockinRarity] said, it raises people’s defensive hackles and shuts out your message.

Allow me to illustrate the problem with “all.” Making assumptions like “all white/cis/etc. people do x oppressive activity” and such is different from saying “all Christians believe in Jesus” or “all KKK members believe whites are the superior race.” The latter statements are based in fact: the members announce their shared fundamental, homogenous beliefs by joining a classification. The former’s classification is inherent and unchangeable, and you can’t classify a broad group’s behavior or actions in the same manner, because being white/cis/etc. isn’t tied to any one particular belief or ideology. And similarly, you can’t make assumptions about other choice-based groups, other than ones based off factual information that defines that group, because not all members of a religion/organization/etc. share the same beliefs or behave in the same manner outside of what the groups dictate.

OP was well-intentioned, but nope, the real world just doesn’t work like that. Make assumptions - be provacative and start conversations - but always allow for the outliers unless you want your argument to fall on deaf ears.

Look! Reasonable person has reasonable thing to say!

But SJW chimed in again:

"you can’t classify a broad group’s behavior or actions in the same manner, because being white/cis/etc. isn’t tied to any one particular belief or ideology" lol omg are you serious because white people everywhere from birth are told that they are better than people of color. that is literally why white people invented race. the institution of whiteness was created to oppress POC and individuals alone cannot just buy out of this institution even if they themselves do not believe in the subjugation of people of color

sorry you are wrong try again

White people from birth are told that they are better than people of color??? I have never been told that in my life. If she is using hyperbole here, it's not helping her case.

Oh, and she responds to my "compassion and reason" comment...

because “compassion and reason”? oh fucking fuck I am fucking FULL of compassion, you don’t even know. full of compassion for the oppressed, for the people who deserve and NEED compassion. not compassion for the oppressive masses, not compassion for the ignorant entitled assholes who make the see/hear/speak no evil gesture while i’m articulating my arguments and then say “well, sweetheart, you see the problem with your opinion is…” without having listened to a single goddamned fucking word i’ve said.

and reason? my politics are rooted in and supported by reason and facts and numbers but i deliver my politics with emotion, with even anger sometimes, because guess the fuck what, there is a LOT to be angry about. i get angry. i express my anger. and i appeal to people’s emotions too. but that doesn’t do anything to take away from the validity of my politics.

i am so goddamned fucking tired of being told to stop having feelings and to stop responding to those who disagree with me. i am tired of being told, no matter what i do — if i listen to my enemies and detractors or not — that i am doing my politics all wrong.

Ugh.

1. If they are supported by facts, give us facts, not just anecdotes.

2. We are listening. And counter-arguing. If you think that everyone who legitimately listens to what you have to say automatically will agree with you, HAHAHAHA you naive narcissistic peanut - I stopped believing that before I got into high school, and here you are, a young adult woman, still believing that everything that you type on a keyboard is magic truth?

3. You are allowed to be wrong. So are we. But you need to actually argue your points without resorting to half of the logical fallacies that exist.

4. Hey, I have compassion for the oppressed too. I hate racism, sexism, and homophobia. It makes me facepalm, and I call people out on their racism, sexism, and homophobia if I can find a way to speak to them that will help us see eye-to-eye without calling them names or telling them to fuck off or that it has to be us vs. them. Why can't we all just be human?

5. Oh and basically you are putting words in my mouth. Because if one white person said it, then all white people think it, right???

So I pretty much ended with this:

And you sound like someone who has been seriously hurt and have been bitter about your pain for a very long time. I guess because compassion and reason doesn’t work for you it means that it must never work for anyone.

You are wrong about me, though. Not that your bitterness would ever let you believe that. Be bitter all you want, but bitterness doesn’t make you right.

SJW never responded to this one.

So.

I think one of the worst parts about all this is that the original blog post got over 15,000 notes.

Why is shit like this popular.

See, this scares me. I mean at best these people are teenagers and arrogant college students who will grow out of a phase. At worst people are learning about the world and how to argue beliefs and logical claims from effing Tumblr, and what they learn about critical thinking in Tumblr will stick with them forever.

SJWs are a thing because people are not taught how to make logical, compelling arguments. These people learn about oppression and learn that everything about oppression is the fault of the straight white man and then their critical thinking stops there. These people are narcissistic adolescent and young adult women who are bored with lives or bitter about past experiences with certain individuals that they involve themselves in Tumblr drama and mask the drama as fighting for minority rights.

I was going through this particular person's entire Tumblr to find some of these posts and holy shit. There is just so much wrong with what she says a lot of the time. She even insults bronies and says that we all sexualize cartoon horses and ruin the show for little girls.

I just, how do they function in normal society? Doesn't everyone hate them? And are they completely unable to see that the reason for other people's hate is because of how they approach others who are part of these "majority" groups?

Now generally I believe that people are decently good at figuring out their own problems and being self-reflective and choosing to learn from mistakes and whatnot.

But being literally blind to your own faults must be so debilitating.

Well, you know what the Bible says:

Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Matthew 7: 4-5