I beg to differ, Mr. Carroll

[pjthompson]

I hesitated before posting today's quote of the day—because it was triggery for me and I thought it might be triggering for others.

I know Mr. Carroll was speaking politically (probably) and not personally, but it's such a broad, bald statement that it can be taken in many ways.

In the end, I decided to post it because I believe in hosting a multiplicity of viewpoints (barring Nazi propaganda and the like). I also wondered if it might broaden current discussions going on about speaking out. Hopefully (since I really am small potatoes), it won't stir up a sh*tstorm, but you never know how these things will go. Reasoned discourse is not in fashion these days.

You see, there is nothing wrong with keeping your silence. I know from personal experience that sometimes silence is a survival mechanism and NO ONE has the right to tell you that you must break your silence. It is completely an individual choice. Breaking silence can sometimes be immensely damaging to the psychology of a victim if forced on them before they are ready to speak. Sometimes they will never be ready to speak, and that is entirely okay.

You owe it to yourself to take care of yourself because maybe no one else will. You don't owe the herd anything that will damage you. If speaking out helps you, then speak out. But these things can't be rushed. They exist in a space outside time and the needs of the many. They are entirely personal until and unless you decide to make them public.

#MeToo

Comments

[sartorias]

I tend to think that silence that causes active harm--not speaking, say, if a blind person is about to step in front of a truck--is wrong, but few situations are that clearcut.

For example, old woman speaks up when seeing someone being picked on. The bullies then turn on the old woman, excoriating her, then redouble their efforts on their first victim. She didn't help at all, and became a victim herself.

[pjthompson]

Yes, it's never a clear cut thing. Everything is shades and shades and shades. And when we tell people they must do this not that it's like going at the world with a bludgeon.

[asakiyume]

I agree with you, and with Sherwood.

[pjthompson]

I'm cursed with shades of grey colored glasses.

[rimturse]

I think it's all down to how you interpret it. I read it only as him speaking politically.

And even then I couldn't say if he meant it literally, since there are different ways of speaking up.

[pjthompson]

Yes, of course. But there's a certain tone in social media these days that people must always speak out and it's often just not that simple. I wanted to say that in case anyone was feeling like a coward for not saying anything.

[rimturse]

That is true. The environment online is becoming more and more aggressive and politically correct - and with very little room for personal or cultural deviations.

So I do understand 100% where you're coming from. One shoe or in this case, one quote, does not fit all, and like in your example then often there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - on the contrary.

[pjthompson]

Yes, it's very distressing how much social media is in lock step on the extremes and any variation in that groupthink is often met with vindictiveness.