On taboos, ways they are valid, and obligation to examine them
The ever-analytical eclective has written a piece on the function of perceptions and taboos that I think everyone should read. She points out why we should figure out the reasons for our discomfort with certain things. It's refreshing to see someone online discuss the idea of taboos (gah, I typoed that as "tabooks") without framing their entire argument by the idea that either that "all taboos are bad old relics that mean nothing anymore and therefore we should fling them all to the winds," or "taboos are healthy because we have to become responsible people by drawing the line somewhere."
As Eclective points out, it is reasonable for someone to say "I don't condone plushie sex because I see plush animals as totemic, and to be respected." (She apparently meant something different from not-condoning because of obvious religious/moral beliefs; rather she meant a not-condoning born of a gut reaction, which is usually the thing that people label "inexcusable.") Not being cool with plushie sex doesn't mean that you are a narrow-minded person who is bigoted at anyone who would like plushie sex. And you don't have to be all "Oh, plushie sex is fine!! ^___^" in order to be an open-minded person who totally respects the fact that others may be into plushie sex. It's okay to say, "I feel uncomfortable with this thing," without being a narrow-minded person who is "bigoted" or "unenlightened." It may be related to some other facet of what makes you who you are, and it just bothers you. And as long as you recognize that this is relevant only to you and your particular worldview, you are not being prejudiced.
Eclective also points out, though, that we need to know why those taboos make us uncomfortable-- because if we don't figure it out, then we see taboos as Just Plain Wrong, for no other reason. She says that this is the path of the unenlightened, and none of us really want to be "like chimps in a zoo" merely playing with the cultural tools we are given, and this is surely the case. But there's another reason why such things are important: since we human beings tend to make public policy based on our systems of morality, we need to sort out what within our moral systems belong to just us and what we see as universal. Otherwise we end up being unfair with our choices. (This is not meant to be a political rant, so I won't go there.) [And sure, we can end up being unfair anyway because something we see as universal really isn't. We all have different beliefs and worldviews. Fairness is impossible, but let's not be unnecessarily unfair, you know?]
In short, what she left out saying is there are important reasons to examine the reasons for our taboos-- not just because we all want to be Enlightened and Wise People who know more about Life and the Meaning of the Universe, but because it impacts the choices we make, which affects both our own lives and others'. I'm sure she knows this, but I feel like saying it as I link to her post, so that I can make you all feel like you busy people really ought to take a little time to consider your taboos. Yeah.
(...I typed "tabooks" AGAIN.)
As Eclective points out, it is reasonable for someone to say "I don't condone plushie sex because I see plush animals as totemic, and to be respected." (She apparently meant something different from not-condoning because of obvious religious/moral beliefs; rather she meant a not-condoning born of a gut reaction, which is usually the thing that people label "inexcusable.") Not being cool with plushie sex doesn't mean that you are a narrow-minded person who is bigoted at anyone who would like plushie sex. And you don't have to be all "Oh, plushie sex is fine!! ^___^" in order to be an open-minded person who totally respects the fact that others may be into plushie sex. It's okay to say, "I feel uncomfortable with this thing," without being a narrow-minded person who is "bigoted" or "unenlightened." It may be related to some other facet of what makes you who you are, and it just bothers you. And as long as you recognize that this is relevant only to you and your particular worldview, you are not being prejudiced.
Eclective also points out, though, that we need to know why those taboos make us uncomfortable-- because if we don't figure it out, then we see taboos as Just Plain Wrong, for no other reason. She says that this is the path of the unenlightened, and none of us really want to be "like chimps in a zoo" merely playing with the cultural tools we are given, and this is surely the case. But there's another reason why such things are important: since we human beings tend to make public policy based on our systems of morality, we need to sort out what within our moral systems belong to just us and what we see as universal. Otherwise we end up being unfair with our choices. (This is not meant to be a political rant, so I won't go there.) [And sure, we can end up being unfair anyway because something we see as universal really isn't. We all have different beliefs and worldviews. Fairness is impossible, but let's not be unnecessarily unfair, you know?]
In short, what she left out saying is there are important reasons to examine the reasons for our taboos-- not just because we all want to be Enlightened and Wise People who know more about Life and the Meaning of the Universe, but because it impacts the choices we make, which affects both our own lives and others'. I'm sure she knows this, but I feel like saying it as I link to her post, so that I can make you all feel like you busy people really ought to take a little time to consider your taboos. Yeah.
(...I typed "tabooks" AGAIN.)