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1: make literal, factual observation about my own personal state.
2: find the thought vaguely amusing, and think about sharing it with the internet.
3: realize in horror that the root of the amusement is "this statement is used as an oppressive insult by a specific brand of asshat, and here I am using it literally, ha ha ha"
4: get cranky about asshats of all descriptions spoiling either existing or brand-new words and phrases by using them as bludgeons
5: wonder whether the taxonomically specific type of asshat I first blamed is the correct one
6: realize that any public expression of crankiness on my part over blaming the asshats in question would very likely get derailed by people railing at the misclassification of the asshats, and further derailed by people railing right back that it didn't matter
7: decide to go further up the taxonomic tree when talking about those asshats
8: suddenly recall at least two incidents involving at least two separate individuals who managed to either actually or nearly touch off incidents involving the taxonomic nature of various and sundry misclassified asshats
9: remember the advice I gave to one of them as a substitute for keelhauling, which my brain has been turning over and adding to. It's perhaps hastily phrased here, but the general structure is this:
If you ever feel it necessary to enter into a conversation about real or fictional asshattery in order to correct someone's taxonomy of the asshats, for the love of Pete, please preface your statement with something approximating "[The asshat(s) in question is/are] asshats, and their behavior and effects on others is kind of generally deplorable."
Otherwise, no matter how much you actually do think that the asshats in question are behaving scummily and should kind of not do those things, without that explicit disclaimer, the derailing effect of the taxonomic interruption runs a chance of convincing the other parties to the discussion that you are defending the asshats. So if that is not something you wanted to do, you are going to have to explain why the taxonomic category you are putting these asshats into is just as bad, and sometimes, why you are butting into the discussion at all.
Some conversations are okay with being rerouted into taxonomic quibbling. Some discussions are very not. Those discussions, maybe you should consider making your observation not in the middle of it, and for the love of little blue-white flames not consuming your entire internet presence, maybe explain why it's still bad.
2: find the thought vaguely amusing, and think about sharing it with the internet.
3: realize in horror that the root of the amusement is "this statement is used as an oppressive insult by a specific brand of asshat, and here I am using it literally, ha ha ha"
4: get cranky about asshats of all descriptions spoiling either existing or brand-new words and phrases by using them as bludgeons
5: wonder whether the taxonomically specific type of asshat I first blamed is the correct one
6: realize that any public expression of crankiness on my part over blaming the asshats in question would very likely get derailed by people railing at the misclassification of the asshats, and further derailed by people railing right back that it didn't matter
7: decide to go further up the taxonomic tree when talking about those asshats
8: suddenly recall at least two incidents involving at least two separate individuals who managed to either actually or nearly touch off incidents involving the taxonomic nature of various and sundry misclassified asshats
9: remember the advice I gave to one of them as a substitute for keelhauling, which my brain has been turning over and adding to. It's perhaps hastily phrased here, but the general structure is this:
If you ever feel it necessary to enter into a conversation about real or fictional asshattery in order to correct someone's taxonomy of the asshats, for the love of Pete, please preface your statement with something approximating "[The asshat(s) in question is/are] asshats, and their behavior and effects on others is kind of generally deplorable."
Otherwise, no matter how much you actually do think that the asshats in question are behaving scummily and should kind of not do those things, without that explicit disclaimer, the derailing effect of the taxonomic interruption runs a chance of convincing the other parties to the discussion that you are defending the asshats. So if that is not something you wanted to do, you are going to have to explain why the taxonomic category you are putting these asshats into is just as bad, and sometimes, why you are butting into the discussion at all.
Some conversations are okay with being rerouted into taxonomic quibbling. Some discussions are very not. Those discussions, maybe you should consider making your observation not in the middle of it, and for the love of little blue-white flames not consuming your entire internet presence, maybe explain why it's still bad.
