Yeah this stuff is terrible, so-called micro-aggressions are a bullshit little way that insecure people try to control others around them. Its promoted by professional whiners with a chip on their shoulder, who have an external locus of control. Literally the opposite of the stoics.
Good communication must be essential in best practices concerning medicine. Basics, such as, "Where are you from? " show that you are interested in a person, and should make them feel welcome. If I were you, Chris, I would publish an article in the same newspaper about how to communicate effectively. And you can include having the courage to let someone know that you feel they are making a microaggression in case they are unaware. Knowing is half the battle.
You have a duty to not allow this underhanded assault to silence you.
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said, "“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference"
Woke culture aims to make us indifferent. Once we lose the right to speak freely, we lose the ability to think freely. It is an uphill battle, as you all know, but we need to face it.
What an awesome quote from Elie Wiesel. I had heard it years ago, but it didn't tweak to me how perfectly relevant it was to this subject. Thanks for that.
I will keep chipping away at this as I can, even though I feel more and more like King Canute trying to hold back the tide.
There's no question Canada is going to import that crap. We excel in that sort of thing. And Timothy Caulfield and Andre Picard will be sure to promulgate it with the little Order of Canadas hanging from their necks. Have you seen the CMA's X account? Yeh, it's in the system and it's gonna get worse.
This is going to make doctor-patient relationship challenging. Not interested in Dr. Wokella wrapped up in their narcissistic paranoia healthsplain things to me in a one-way conversation. I'd rather sit in my bed and let God sort it out.
Senator Stan Kutcher constantly checked in with Caulfield, Saxsinger, Bogoch & the crew at ScienceUpFirst (aka Stan's troll farm of students, failed scientists & moonlighting docs) in the early daze of vaccine pushing when Twitter was safely in the hands of the cabal.
I would love to see the final dollar figure of that exercise in propaganda.
Julie has personal experience with Stan Kutcher, so he started out in our minds standing in a morality hole, and has just continued to dig himself deeper.
Refuse to change. I also got afraid to talk to "people of color" where i didn't think twice before the woke scourge. I am going back to talking to them as I always have. If they wanna call me racist, that's their problem. I will not stop being welcoming, friendly and inquisitive because of the effin' woke scourge.
Another fantastic topic, is it changing times? I grew up in N.S. It was normal to say hello and engage with new folks and it was considered courteous, polite, respectful and genuine to ask a new acquaintance (no matter the color of their skin)about their life, their work, school and family. Since moving to ON / QC 20+ yrs ago, after attempting to greet a new acquaintance and having a genuine interest in them as a person, I have met several people, to my surprise and shock who are offended by the friendly questions. Responses like: is the interview over yet? If there is something I want you to know about me, I will tell you, what is this, 20 questions, are we done yet? To these people, asking questions is like asking them to go belly up and be exposed despite the fact, the conversation is surface based with no attempt to dig into private, personal matters. What is also bizarre, is that while face to face conversations diminish, so many people often post everything about their life including private details on social media .. ?
I lived away from Cape Breton for 16+ years. I moved back in 2003 largely to get out of the bland, community-less "cultural mosaic" which was Ontario, where - as you say - people felt it was weird and intrusive if you said hi or asked questions about them.
Nowthis culture has come to Sydney, and I'm right back to having many/most people ignore me if I say hi when I pass by in the road on a run or when out for a stroll.
Maybe it's just a community size issue? Maybe it's immigration being so fast that people can't assimilate into communities? Whatever it is, the things I moved to get away from have chased me and found me again.
This is all such bullshite. I have a keen interest in accents, so I quite often ask where someone is from. I speak some Spanish also and ask Spanish speakers where they are from to compare dialects/accents. I had a great conversation with a lady from Jamaica a couple of weeks ago because I detected a Caribbean lilt and had spent some time there. She did not seem put out in the least.
If someone starts in on me about a microaggression for asking a clearly interested question, I will respond with a macroaggression-"F*ck off!"
Dr. C - I truly think that is the intent - divide and conquer so that people do not connect at a deeper level. Unfortunately, for those of us who want to be welcoming and friendly this crazy woke stuff starts to limit us. Don't let it. I'm a fellow easterner and I will talk with anyone. It is harder these days for sure. I used to be able to just smile at someone for no reason, and they would automatically smile back (for the most part). Now it is like pulling teeth. :( And like Dr. Julie, I have a particular accent (I guess) that gives me away sometimes too but it isn't as obvious as the sweet twangs of Cape Breton. :) When I go back east, I feel like I fit better there. However, with the number of Ontario people moving east, that may change. Ooops, is that a microaggression? Let's see that article in the paper for what it is - some people just look for that needle in the haystack and if they can't find it, they will find something that resembles it. Down east folks have always been known as friendly - let's keep that gem alive.
I totally agree with you. "Don't take things personally" is one of the golden rules I try to live by, but people who see microaggressions everywhere seem to be taking everything personally. As far as I am concerned, this in itself is a form of aggression -- creating bad feelings and division where none was intended.
I can only imagine your shock when you found out what an awful person you were for trying to welcome someone to the community, show them the "ropes", and express curiosity about them. The poor victims of 'microagressions' such as those described should take a dog to an off leash park and see what happens there. Lots of tail wagging, butt sniffing, prancing about, feigned growling,--all in the context of curiosity about each other and enticements to play together. People do that too--at least the human version of it--and it's normal!!! What is not normal is being a perpetual victim.
It was one of the most disappointing events ever in my life. It did truly change my way of relating to people. I lost some faith in humanity. But I also appreciate good people much more now as well, as well as being cautious to keep dangerous folks at arms-length.
Truer words were never spoken Doc, and my heart goes out to newcomers who get fed a diet of this kind of BS - who jump on the “microagression” band wagon. it is truly “a very strange world we live in master Jack” (old song from a bygone era) Perhaps your article sheds some light on my new nursing experience of sitting in the break room surrounded by folks from away AND nobody speaks to me, but instead reads from their cell phone, - incredibly strange phenomena!
Thank you thank you for writing this. One of your best and most needed blogs. So goddamn tired of victimhood and its worsening effect on normal human interactions and the prognosis for resilience.
They have created a counter culture where you are assigned status based on your perceived level of victimhood.
It is a complex system that uses things like race, gender identity, biological gender, culture, etc., to place you in the victimhood hierarchy.
The things it steadfastly refuses to take into account are your own decisions and actions.
Under this credo you are never in any way in control of or responsible for your own outcomes.
Of course, sometimes this is true.
A rape victim is not responsible for the actions of the rapist.
The car crash victim did not choose to be in a wheelchair.
But there are thousands of ways that people can improve their own outcomes by taking personal responsibility for them.
Even innocent victims of violence can be taught proactive techniques that can minimize their chances of being selected by the assailant in the first place, and maximize their chances of a good outcome in the second place.
We may not be able to choose our past, but we can certainly choose how we go forward into our future.
This requires each person to claim mastery over their own lives, and this is poison to the so-called "progressive" "left".
Yeah this stuff is terrible, so-called micro-aggressions are a bullshit little way that insecure people try to control others around them. Its promoted by professional whiners with a chip on their shoulder, who have an external locus of control. Literally the opposite of the stoics.
Good communication must be essential in best practices concerning medicine. Basics, such as, "Where are you from? " show that you are interested in a person, and should make them feel welcome. If I were you, Chris, I would publish an article in the same newspaper about how to communicate effectively. And you can include having the courage to let someone know that you feel they are making a microaggression in case they are unaware. Knowing is half the battle.
You have a duty to not allow this underhanded assault to silence you.
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said, "“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference"
Woke culture aims to make us indifferent. Once we lose the right to speak freely, we lose the ability to think freely. It is an uphill battle, as you all know, but we need to face it.
What an awesome quote from Elie Wiesel. I had heard it years ago, but it didn't tweak to me how perfectly relevant it was to this subject. Thanks for that.
I will keep chipping away at this as I can, even though I feel more and more like King Canute trying to hold back the tide.
If ever you need inspiration, J.K. Rowling has brilliantly demonstrated how ridiculous the new "Hate Law" is in Britain. https://www.mercatornet.com/j_k_rowling_stand_for_truth
There's no question Canada is going to import that crap. We excel in that sort of thing. And Timothy Caulfield and Andre Picard will be sure to promulgate it with the little Order of Canadas hanging from their necks. Have you seen the CMA's X account? Yeh, it's in the system and it's gonna get worse.
This is going to make doctor-patient relationship challenging. Not interested in Dr. Wokella wrapped up in their narcissistic paranoia healthsplain things to me in a one-way conversation. I'd rather sit in my bed and let God sort it out.
"Spotting a microaggression and making a complaint" is probably a mandatory credit in medschool now.
Senator Stan Kutcher constantly checked in with Caulfield, Saxsinger, Bogoch & the crew at ScienceUpFirst (aka Stan's troll farm of students, failed scientists & moonlighting docs) in the early daze of vaccine pushing when Twitter was safely in the hands of the cabal.
I would love to see the final dollar figure of that exercise in propaganda.
Julie has personal experience with Stan Kutcher, so he started out in our minds standing in a morality hole, and has just continued to dig himself deeper.
I have lost any and all respect for the Order of Canada.
Ya, when that embezzling ba$tard Mulroney got it (Airbus Scandal) it was rightly dubbed, The Odor (sic) Of Canada".
Refuse to change. I also got afraid to talk to "people of color" where i didn't think twice before the woke scourge. I am going back to talking to them as I always have. If they wanna call me racist, that's their problem. I will not stop being welcoming, friendly and inquisitive because of the effin' woke scourge.
Another fantastic topic, is it changing times? I grew up in N.S. It was normal to say hello and engage with new folks and it was considered courteous, polite, respectful and genuine to ask a new acquaintance (no matter the color of their skin)about their life, their work, school and family. Since moving to ON / QC 20+ yrs ago, after attempting to greet a new acquaintance and having a genuine interest in them as a person, I have met several people, to my surprise and shock who are offended by the friendly questions. Responses like: is the interview over yet? If there is something I want you to know about me, I will tell you, what is this, 20 questions, are we done yet? To these people, asking questions is like asking them to go belly up and be exposed despite the fact, the conversation is surface based with no attempt to dig into private, personal matters. What is also bizarre, is that while face to face conversations diminish, so many people often post everything about their life including private details on social media .. ?
I lived away from Cape Breton for 16+ years. I moved back in 2003 largely to get out of the bland, community-less "cultural mosaic" which was Ontario, where - as you say - people felt it was weird and intrusive if you said hi or asked questions about them.
Nowthis culture has come to Sydney, and I'm right back to having many/most people ignore me if I say hi when I pass by in the road on a run or when out for a stroll.
Maybe it's just a community size issue? Maybe it's immigration being so fast that people can't assimilate into communities? Whatever it is, the things I moved to get away from have chased me and found me again.
So true, & well said, Karrie
We are going to become less and less friendly because of fear of making a mistake. So sad. Canada was always a friendly country.
Only if you let it scare you.
It's not that I'm scared, it's exhausting
You know the woke are scraping the bottom of the barrel for taking offense when micro-aggressions are macro-problems.
As a tour guide, I often ask people where they are from and occasionally they ask, "Why do you want to know?"
Just a simple hello and getting to know you, or show interest has become a thing of ulterior motive triggering their own insecurity.
If I wouldn't get fired, I'd love to respond by saying "That's ok, I understand your fear because you voted democrat" 🤣
This is everywhere. I refuse to play along anymore. Until it is called out for the passive-aggressive manipulation it is, it will flourish.
This is all such bullshite. I have a keen interest in accents, so I quite often ask where someone is from. I speak some Spanish also and ask Spanish speakers where they are from to compare dialects/accents. I had a great conversation with a lady from Jamaica a couple of weeks ago because I detected a Caribbean lilt and had spent some time there. She did not seem put out in the least.
If someone starts in on me about a microaggression for asking a clearly interested question, I will respond with a macroaggression-"F*ck off!"
Dr. C - I truly think that is the intent - divide and conquer so that people do not connect at a deeper level. Unfortunately, for those of us who want to be welcoming and friendly this crazy woke stuff starts to limit us. Don't let it. I'm a fellow easterner and I will talk with anyone. It is harder these days for sure. I used to be able to just smile at someone for no reason, and they would automatically smile back (for the most part). Now it is like pulling teeth. :( And like Dr. Julie, I have a particular accent (I guess) that gives me away sometimes too but it isn't as obvious as the sweet twangs of Cape Breton. :) When I go back east, I feel like I fit better there. However, with the number of Ontario people moving east, that may change. Ooops, is that a microaggression? Let's see that article in the paper for what it is - some people just look for that needle in the haystack and if they can't find it, they will find something that resembles it. Down east folks have always been known as friendly - let's keep that gem alive.
The one good thing is all this ideologocal nonsense is starting to be seen as nonsense. Woke is on it's last leg and on it's way out
I pray to God that you're right.
not out here in BC. It might change if the NDP lose the fall election, but if they win, they are the wokest of the woke and it will just get worse.
It took long enough.
I totally agree with you. "Don't take things personally" is one of the golden rules I try to live by, but people who see microaggressions everywhere seem to be taking everything personally. As far as I am concerned, this in itself is a form of aggression -- creating bad feelings and division where none was intended.
I can only imagine your shock when you found out what an awful person you were for trying to welcome someone to the community, show them the "ropes", and express curiosity about them. The poor victims of 'microagressions' such as those described should take a dog to an off leash park and see what happens there. Lots of tail wagging, butt sniffing, prancing about, feigned growling,--all in the context of curiosity about each other and enticements to play together. People do that too--at least the human version of it--and it's normal!!! What is not normal is being a perpetual victim.
It was one of the most disappointing events ever in my life. It did truly change my way of relating to people. I lost some faith in humanity. But I also appreciate good people much more now as well, as well as being cautious to keep dangerous folks at arms-length.
Truer words were never spoken Doc, and my heart goes out to newcomers who get fed a diet of this kind of BS - who jump on the “microagression” band wagon. it is truly “a very strange world we live in master Jack” (old song from a bygone era) Perhaps your article sheds some light on my new nursing experience of sitting in the break room surrounded by folks from away AND nobody speaks to me, but instead reads from their cell phone, - incredibly strange phenomena!
Thank you thank you for writing this. One of your best and most needed blogs. So goddamn tired of victimhood and its worsening effect on normal human interactions and the prognosis for resilience.
Theirs is the credo of perpetual victimhood.
They have created a counter culture where you are assigned status based on your perceived level of victimhood.
It is a complex system that uses things like race, gender identity, biological gender, culture, etc., to place you in the victimhood hierarchy.
The things it steadfastly refuses to take into account are your own decisions and actions.
Under this credo you are never in any way in control of or responsible for your own outcomes.
Of course, sometimes this is true.
A rape victim is not responsible for the actions of the rapist.
The car crash victim did not choose to be in a wheelchair.
But there are thousands of ways that people can improve their own outcomes by taking personal responsibility for them.
Even innocent victims of violence can be taught proactive techniques that can minimize their chances of being selected by the assailant in the first place, and maximize their chances of a good outcome in the second place.
We may not be able to choose our past, but we can certainly choose how we go forward into our future.
This requires each person to claim mastery over their own lives, and this is poison to the so-called "progressive" "left".
They prefer you to remain as passive cult drones.