That's a very difficult question. On the one hand, the social contract stipulates that when people have pressing needs that can be met, those needs should be met. For example, if someone is in a wheelchair, the social contract stipulates that that person should be pushed and even carried in stairs.
That's a very difficult question. On the one hand, the social contract stipulates that when people have pressing needs that can be met, those needs should be met. For example, if someone is in a wheelchair, the social contract stipulates that that person should be pushed and even carried in stairs.
On the other hand, what makes this social contract possible is that people make sure to have as few pressing needs as possible. Everybody, including the person in the wheelchair themselves, agrees that it is unfortunate that they can't walk and thereby need other people to make sacrifices.
When people say that it is very important to them to be called "she" although they are 180 centimeters tall with big hands and a square jaw, the social contract stipulates that the rest of us should oblige, because it is doable and people's special needs should be met when possible. But the more people develop such special needs, the more overstrained the social contract gets. Especially when those with needs don't present themselves as unfortunate, but as proud right-holders.
I don't feel like being the one that breaks the social contract. Who does? Social contracts are there to be honored. But I sense that a chicken race is going on, where one side is trying to provoke the other to be the first to explicitly break old rules of decency and kindness.
Huh, never heard it thought about that way. You're right and I'm the same way, I don't want to break the social contract lol, which is why the majority of people just acknowledge it and move on. And I think that's what the majority of trans people want, is just for people to acknowledge it and move on.
In my experience, trans people do feel like they've been put in a worse position because they've been born into the wrong bodies. They feel trapped and insecure, things that can be solved by people acknowledging their existence as a "he" or "she". Most understand that people don't need to call them by their preferred pronouns but are glad when they do because it fills the hole of validation in their own skin.
The extremes definitely blast the conversation in terms of "rights", which I don't think is valid. No one has a right to be nice to anyone else or to make anyone else feel comfortable. Something I've been thinking about is that because the actual trans population in the world is so so small, the more trans people that stick out as extremists blend the entirety of trans people together. Less people = greater percentage of people on the extreme ends.
That's a very difficult question. On the one hand, the social contract stipulates that when people have pressing needs that can be met, those needs should be met. For example, if someone is in a wheelchair, the social contract stipulates that that person should be pushed and even carried in stairs.
On the other hand, what makes this social contract possible is that people make sure to have as few pressing needs as possible. Everybody, including the person in the wheelchair themselves, agrees that it is unfortunate that they can't walk and thereby need other people to make sacrifices.
When people say that it is very important to them to be called "she" although they are 180 centimeters tall with big hands and a square jaw, the social contract stipulates that the rest of us should oblige, because it is doable and people's special needs should be met when possible. But the more people develop such special needs, the more overstrained the social contract gets. Especially when those with needs don't present themselves as unfortunate, but as proud right-holders.
I don't feel like being the one that breaks the social contract. Who does? Social contracts are there to be honored. But I sense that a chicken race is going on, where one side is trying to provoke the other to be the first to explicitly break old rules of decency and kindness.
Huh, never heard it thought about that way. You're right and I'm the same way, I don't want to break the social contract lol, which is why the majority of people just acknowledge it and move on. And I think that's what the majority of trans people want, is just for people to acknowledge it and move on.
In my experience, trans people do feel like they've been put in a worse position because they've been born into the wrong bodies. They feel trapped and insecure, things that can be solved by people acknowledging their existence as a "he" or "she". Most understand that people don't need to call them by their preferred pronouns but are glad when they do because it fills the hole of validation in their own skin.
The extremes definitely blast the conversation in terms of "rights", which I don't think is valid. No one has a right to be nice to anyone else or to make anyone else feel comfortable. Something I've been thinking about is that because the actual trans population in the world is so so small, the more trans people that stick out as extremists blend the entirety of trans people together. Less people = greater percentage of people on the extreme ends.