[ POLL ] What Are Your Experiences With Microaggression?

Post Reply New Topic

I'm glad aspies still live in houses/

I also agree. It seems like a concept that could almost have been designed with the intention of stirring up suspicion, resentment and antagonism where none would otherwise have existed. It seems intended to encourage people to look for offence where none was intended.

Aggression is a term that should be reserved, I think, for situations where someone is intentionally hostile to another. The concept of "micro aggression" seems to involve a deliberate attempt to blur the meaning, and to apply it to situations where someone has inadvertently said something that might perhaps (or perhaps not) cause offence to another person.

Some people (SJWs not serious academics) who believe it also believe that speech can be violence.

I think a death threat in person and with reasonable expectation that the person could carry it out is close to violence but still not violence. Report anything like that to cops though if you're in the sort of area where the cops pay attention, otherwise be on your guard.

Saying something mean isn't violence.

So far, it's 2 to 1 against the conclusions of the article.

I still think that there is something to this 'Microaggression' issue, but maybe not as much as claimed.

My brain is so hard-wired to be negative and pessimistic that most of the time I think people are thinking or saying bad things about me.

They think I'm weird for always ordering the same things in a restaurant, or that I'm deeply afraid to try anything new or different.

If they come to my apartment and mention all the stuff I have, they think i'm a selfish, materialistic person.

If they notice I'm using my left wand to draw or write, they go "Oh! You're left-handed!", which means they think I shouldn't be able to even properly write my own name.

I have to admit that there are a LOT of people who perceive egregious personal attacks in everything I say, and for absolutely no good reason.

Some of them are members of this website.

Im not sure if I would notice if someone was behaving in a way that could be called microaggressive, it is an unusual term. I wonder if fear could be addictive.

Examples of microaggressions:

Triggering somebody if you say “Man” instead of “humankind.”

Saying “woman” is unsuitable because “woman” contains the word “man.” That is sometimes seen as indicating inferior status for women.

Here's a paradox: I can't give any examples of microaggression without taking the risk that I would inadvertently trigger someone by the example that I give!

Maybe this is an example in itself.

Lol, for goodness sake, that is ridiculous!! If that was the norm then everyone would be perpetually in terror. Using fears to justify social control is regressive and has led to enough evils in the past, the victim mentality makes no sense to me. Perhaps particular groups of people have a heightened sensitivity towards behaviour that could become aggression, but could just as easily not turn into aggression.

Okay, here's an example that shouldn't trigger anyone currently in this thread.

"I like going to parties to meet people and have fun. Otherwise, I just stay in my room."

99.9999 percent of the people in the world will either acknowledge the statement, make some benign "me too" comment about it, or completely ignore it.

But there is always that picayunish 0.0001 percent of the general population that will always respond as if I was calling them out personally for their own lack of social skills and overall disinterest in humanity.

While I'm not intentionally being micro-aggressive, it takes only that one small percentage of people to give me a reputation for being arrogant, condescending, and just plain mean.

It could be a legacy issue in relation to this site... in fairness Fnord, our pasts stay with us no matter how much we change or grow.

It takes a particular type of person to remain open minded when the stereotype has been reinforced; those are the folks I would listen to, the rest have their minds made up and some might possibly set bait for you.

That said, I don't care for using censorship on an ASD community site, communication is difficult enough in the real world, I find this pc mentality to be like group think.

I can't put the blame for my challenges onto someone else, they are mine to live with, even if another harmed me, it's still up to me to control what's within my power to control.

I find it difficult to tolerate accommodating a person who takes no/limited responsibility for their wellbeing, be it mental or physical health. I don't have the personal resources/energy/ability to work on my own stuff and do the same for another person who takes limited responsibility for what they can control.

There are ones I find quite unacceptable.

I don't like people posting "gay" when a man puts a photo of himself wearing smart clothes online.

"you don't look autistic"
"you're too smart to be autistic"
"you don't look black"
"you're too light to be black"
"how's your romance life"
"why aren't you dating"

With that definition just about anything could be determined as a microaggression ...

If it's just a one word post 'gay' it's hetero male homophobic banter ( I grew up surrounded by it ) , people who do this don't realise it can be very damaging for some.