[ExI] list intimidation

[William Flynn Wallace]

We are all libertarians,right?  (the idea that someone here is an
authoritarian is mind-blowing).  We cherish our rights to do as we will,
while staying within the law (mostly).  We see that normal society has over
the millenia devised ways of making people feel safe by the body language,
facial expressions, and verbalizations we are referring to as social
tokens.  Some of us despise the superficiality of these tokens and the
social pressure to accept them and do them in response to other's use of
them.

But think of it this way:  we also do not want to upset people by acting in
odd and nonconformist ways - so we have a conflict.  There are those of us
who want to flip their noses (or fingers) at these conventions and show
people that we cannot be pressured to conform to their silly needs, and so
go ahead and act in ways that do upset people.

There are those libertarians, some of whom I know, who flaunt society by
not wearing seatbelts.  Not only stupid and very immature, but illegal.
None of us, I hope.  This just goes too far and actually endangers lives.

I have walked out on a religious speech that was very bigoted.  It was
required at my college.  But if I were in church to see a loved one marry I
would go along with the requirements of the situation, hoping no one would
think that I support the religious beliefs being expressed.

Is not using social tokens really a good way to express our
libertarianism?  If you were greeted by a smile and a "Hi" would you really
consider sneering at them and ignoring them?  I think not.  Much more
serious battles are there to be fought.

Sometimes you just gotta give in to conformity.  If it annoys you, I
suggest you are putting some stress on yourself that you don't need.
Relax.  Go with the flow.

Are there really good reasons to upset and annoy other people?

bill w

On Wed, Apr 12, 2023 at 8:18 PM spike jones via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

>
>
>
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> *From:* extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> *On Behalf
> Of *Gadersd via extropy-chat
> *…*
>
>
>
> >…I jog everyday and almost every time I cross the path of a stranger he
> or she will either nod or give a greeting of some kind. Ever since I was a
> child these “social token" acknowledgements have been gut wrenching. I
> almost have to grit my teeth to return the acknowledgment. I’m not sure of
> the reason for the aversion, but these “social tokens” have always annoyed
> me to no end…  Gadersd
>
>
>
> Gadersd, that comment astonishes me.  I never thought a pleasant exchange
> of greetings could ever be annoying.  Yesterday I was on the phone with an
> old friend from college (the one with which I cooked up the computer room
> gags endlessly.)  I went on about how I perceive my own neighborhood to be
> filled almost exclusively by very pleasant people with whom I exchange
> friendly waves and greetings nearly every day.  Now, I hear some people
> find that gut wrenching and that California culture is fake.
>
>
>
> I don’t know how to process this information.  Of course I have the option
> to not process that information and continue as I always have.
>
>
>
> spike
> _______________________________________________
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> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
>
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