Sincerism

[jadine]

I believe in total, absolute openness and honesty in relationships.  I wish this could be applied more broadly, but societal conventions label very direct communication as "rude".  Instead, we're expected to dance around every interaction, watching for subtle cues that may mean very different things to the different people involved, and guessing at

Comments

[icedrake]

This isn't just about being sincere and honest, it's also about having little to no thought. How often do you have a reaction to something that, after some consideration, is reversed entirely? It's not about lying, or even phrasing things politely. How useful or interesting would a conversation be if it got interrupted by stream of consciousness statements like "oh, man, look at that ass! I'd totally fuck her/him!"

[jadine]

I think you're missing the point. There's a big difference between direct, honest statements, and totally unfiltered stream of consciousness.

However, I've also had conversations very much like what you described. (In fact, lately I've had a lot of conversations that wander into stream of consciousness, as ADD runs in my family.) I really don't have a problem with this, as long as one can focus a little more for the occasional serious subject.

Different people have different needs in conversations just as in everything else. As I noted in an earlier comment, I think the concept I described is probably not suitable for most people right now - but for some, it would be terrific.

[icedrake]

It's entirely possible that I am -- I'm rarely awake and clear-headed at 6am. (and what on earth are *you* doing up at 4 in the morning?)

But I'd argue the Templar strip you linked to is an example of what I describe, rather than just plain sincerity.

I'm still poking at the overall concept in my head, and the problem is that it *sounds* appealing at first glance, and I can tell you plenty about how society reacts to it. I don't think ADD runs in my family, but it does in me, and spur of the moment, honest reactions have gotten me into no end of trouble over the years.

But here's a question. At any given time, there are many statements you can make about -- well, pretty much anything -- which are true in equal measure. How do you choose which one to make?

[jadine]

Eh, I tend to be up past 4 in the morning.

Everything he says in the Templar strip is *relevant*, not random.

Of course society reacts badly to it, that's my point. It's not socially acceptable. I want to create a space where it is.

You can learn to filter more selectively. Filter for relevancy - but not for social conventions and expectations. For example, expressing my direct feelings about the person I'm talking to is highly relevant, but generally not "polite". Expressing my direct feelings about some other person that pops into my head is usually not relevant.

[icedrake]

You know what, I'm revising my position. I stopped reading Templar a few years ago, so I thought that having only read the linked-to strip, I lacked context. I went back about four strips, and I no longer feel I lack context

[jadine]

Go back to what I said. Unlike the Sincerists, there would be no policing, no fascist enforcement of "truth culture"...

I'm not talking about recreating the crazy, satirical subculture from Templar. Yes, they are pretentious, absolutist, and full of shit. I disagree with some of your other interpretations about them, but that's not relevant, because this is not about them.

[icedrake]

I stand (recline, actually) corrected.