u/Awkward_Possession42

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by [anything else]”

This comes off the back of seeing a post about teachers, and the power they have to change students lives, which was shown through different TV and movie teachers. The top comment, which was liked by the poster, was this:

“Hate to be that person but I just find it disappointing how most films about inspiring teachers are men when teaching is a female dominated field by far.”

The implication is that, through some combination of sexism by screenwriters or producers or whoever, we reached this outcome and I just can’t stand it.

Maybe male teachers, by being a minority, are typically more standout. Maybe, it’s some mix of personality that means male teachers make more of an impact on the types of people who make movies. Maybe it’s pure luck. Maybe it’s because it’s very hard to portray close and genuine male - male relationships without them being sexualised.

Who knows? But why must it be malice?

The other thing is: How do we solve this? Less male teachers? Barring movies about male teachers? Gender swapping the stories made by those who were genuinely inspired by a male teacher? All contrived, unfair, perverse, and morally gross.

Not everything is a conspiracy. Not everything is someone out to get you.

Sometimes things just are.

reddit.com
u/Awkward_Possession42 — 10 hours ago

Hi all, I’m wondering what I should do should this situation arise on my travels. Here is the hypothetical scenario:

You’re on an expedition through the Sahara Desert at night in a group of 21 and somehow you all get split up from one another. As you’re walking alone, you see a deep pit. It’s night time and you make out one man (Mr Perfectly-Honest) standing in there.

He calls out: “Please jump in! I need help, if 10 people jump in then we’ll be able to get out together.”

You ask: “Is there anyone else in there?”

He replies: “Well maybe, I can’t tell you otherwise this wouldn’t work as a thinly veiled point about the Red/ Blue button debate currently going viral online!”

You ask: “That’s fair! But, can’t I go find help?”

Him: “No, you’ll never find me again.”

You reply: “Okay, but why are you even in there? Did you fall?”

Him: “No, I jumped in completely voluntarily just in case somebody else in our group jumped in and needed me to make up the numbers!”

You reply: “But nobody needed to be in there in the first place?”

Him: “Well, maybe but I’m in here now and if you don’t join me then you’re basically killing me!”

You know there are 19 other guys who will all, for some contrived reason, eventually face this same dilemma and have to decide to jump or not jump.

If you leave him, he will starve to death unless 9 of the remaining 19 jump in too. If you join him, you will both starve to death unless 8 of the remaining 19 jump in too.

Do you jump in?

reddit.com
u/Awkward_Possession42 — 12 days ago