It's all a plot
I was listening to Coldplay's latest album in the car yesterday, feeling vaguely ashamed of liking such a bland, poppy band that produces slick and pretty songs with no substance.
But then, I realized that I'm English, white, middle-class, and liberal. This is the music of my people.
I still can't bring myself to listen to Oasis, even though one of the brothers (I don't remember which) used to live right down the street from my mother. I hate their music with a rare and fiery passion.
I've realized why I'm starting, in my near-forties, to become much more outspoken about the various -isms and social subjects than I used to be; I don't care if anyone approves of my views or not any more. My friends will put up with me (at least, they have so far), Bob isn't going to leave me because I snarl at Burger King ads, and the people that can't stand my slant on the world aren't going to read my blog anyway (or they'll sign up, read for two days, and promptly de-friend me again; my numbers bounce up and down regularly).
And it's okay; I really don't mind. I'm finally confident enough in my self (ego/id/cthulu-like tentacled mass of a brain) that I really don't care if people disagree with me (though I appreciate that pretty much everyone has the manners to refrain from attacking me in my own journal comments), and if they have strongly held views that are diametrically opposed to mine, I won't argue with them. I'd rather work on the undecided and the uninformed than try to beat my (tentacled mass of a) brain out against the brick wall of someone's iron convictions.
That's been one of the pieces in the puzzle for me - people don't change their minds easily, and the more deeply-held a belief is, the harder it is (to well-nigh impossible) to change it. I think this is also one of the reasons why internet "debate" (okay, most debate) is really just two sides stating their beliefs, over and over and over and OVER and OVER and OVER!!!!!!! again until one side gets bored, and the other side declares victory in absentia.
"No opinions were altered during the course of this debate", is the disclaimer. Or should be.
I don't care if person A thinks I'm out of my mind on feminist pixie dust; person A is not whom I'm talking to. Person B might be intrigued by my audacity, and stay to read more. Person C agrees delightedly with everything I say, and is happy to have another voice in the fray. Person D "never thought about it like that".
Person A is out of my equation; they can't reach me, and I can't reach them. We're sitting on either side of an ideological divide, and the chasm between us is bottomless (and tentacle-ridden. Watch out for falling cupcakes). With person C, I'm preaching to the choir; I like the affirmation that other people think like I do on some stuff, but I'm not changing their world. We're like-minded and probably have common formative experiences.
But Persons B and D - there's my target (and now you know my secret agenda). If I can introduce new concepts to someone who hasn't seen an idea from a particular angle, then I'm doing something right with my rambling.
(Or I'm advancing the Liberal Feminist Man-Hating Race Traitor Left-Wing Illuminati One-World New World Order regime, depending on your viewpoint.)
(But, due to the conspicuous absence of trolls in my little tiny cabin in the woods, I'm guessing no-one here hold quite that opinion of me.)
(Feminist, yes. Illuminati, no.)
Sometimes, I get things wrong. Sometimes, I'm just going to natter on about SCA stuff, costuming, and my day.
(Please? I can hear some of you saying. I am planning a project post soon, don't worry.)
But, since I have this bully pulpit, I'm sometimes going to use it for evil speak my mind on random subjects. And I'm not really worried if you disagree with me; I'm not going to hold it against you.
As long as you forgive me my utterly bland taste in music and don't hold my like of Coldplay against me.
(I was listening to "A Chorus Line" this morning. Trufax.)
But then, I realized that I'm English, white, middle-class, and liberal. This is the music of my people.
I still can't bring myself to listen to Oasis, even though one of the brothers (I don't remember which) used to live right down the street from my mother. I hate their music with a rare and fiery passion.
I've realized why I'm starting, in my near-forties, to become much more outspoken about the various -isms and social subjects than I used to be; I don't care if anyone approves of my views or not any more. My friends will put up with me (at least, they have so far), Bob isn't going to leave me because I snarl at Burger King ads, and the people that can't stand my slant on the world aren't going to read my blog anyway (or they'll sign up, read for two days, and promptly de-friend me again; my numbers bounce up and down regularly).
And it's okay; I really don't mind. I'm finally confident enough in my self (ego/id/cthulu-like tentacled mass of a brain) that I really don't care if people disagree with me (though I appreciate that pretty much everyone has the manners to refrain from attacking me in my own journal comments), and if they have strongly held views that are diametrically opposed to mine, I won't argue with them. I'd rather work on the undecided and the uninformed than try to beat my (tentacled mass of a) brain out against the brick wall of someone's iron convictions.
That's been one of the pieces in the puzzle for me - people don't change their minds easily, and the more deeply-held a belief is, the harder it is (to well-nigh impossible) to change it. I think this is also one of the reasons why internet "debate" (okay, most debate) is really just two sides stating their beliefs, over and over and over and OVER and OVER and OVER!!!!!!! again until one side gets bored, and the other side declares victory in absentia.
"No opinions were altered during the course of this debate", is the disclaimer. Or should be.
I don't care if person A thinks I'm out of my mind on feminist pixie dust; person A is not whom I'm talking to. Person B might be intrigued by my audacity, and stay to read more. Person C agrees delightedly with everything I say, and is happy to have another voice in the fray. Person D "never thought about it like that".
Person A is out of my equation; they can't reach me, and I can't reach them. We're sitting on either side of an ideological divide, and the chasm between us is bottomless (and tentacle-ridden. Watch out for falling cupcakes). With person C, I'm preaching to the choir; I like the affirmation that other people think like I do on some stuff, but I'm not changing their world. We're like-minded and probably have common formative experiences.
But Persons B and D - there's my target (and now you know my secret agenda). If I can introduce new concepts to someone who hasn't seen an idea from a particular angle, then I'm doing something right with my rambling.
(Or I'm advancing the Liberal Feminist Man-Hating Race Traitor Left-Wing Illuminati One-World New World Order regime, depending on your viewpoint.)
(But, due to the conspicuous absence of trolls in my little tiny cabin in the woods, I'm guessing no-one here hold quite that opinion of me.)
(Feminist, yes. Illuminati, no.)
Sometimes, I get things wrong. Sometimes, I'm just going to natter on about SCA stuff, costuming, and my day.
(Please? I can hear some of you saying. I am planning a project post soon, don't worry.)
But, since I have this bully pulpit, I'm sometimes going to use it for evil speak my mind on random subjects. And I'm not really worried if you disagree with me; I'm not going to hold it against you.
As long as you forgive me my utterly bland taste in music and don't hold my like of Coldplay against me.
(I was listening to "A Chorus Line" this morning. Trufax.)