"i see you and i'm so unsatisfied..."

[hermionesviolin]

*screams*

So, i've been on something of a hiatus from most everything for the past week or so (unfortunately i still didn't manage to get much productive accomplished in that new "free time") and i started checking LJ again today, and i got so angry. This is why i'm surprised more people don't unfriend me over political disagreements: because people write things i think are so wrong and it just drives me up a wall, and certainly i'm not the only person who reacts that way. [Though to be fair, not all the homicide-inducing stuff is political in nature.]

I have such fucking high expectations for people. Not so much that i want them to agree with me (though of course that would be nice) but that i want them to problematize their assumptions, to struggle to understand where those who disagree with them coming from, to not make personal attacks.

Of course politics isn't the only arena i expect way too fucking much from people. This is why i will never date anyone ever. And half the people i wanna be friends with are too cool for me or whatever so i will just wallow in my solitude. *shoots things*

*sighs* I'm an inner-directed, stubbornly self-sufficient, independent person, and for the most part i revel in that, but sometimes i want people, and i have so very few safe people. (Though i remind myself that i have some very wonderful people in my life and i shouldn't discount that.)

[The fact that various work-related things have been frustrating me, and that i'm beginning to stress about grad school in earnest, have not helped my state of mind.]

Comments

[hedy.livejournal.com]

If I said that sometimes I read your political links, and
I can't see how someone so smart can be so wrong, would that help?

If you think lj's are stupid, listen to talk radio.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

If I said that sometimes I read your political links, and
I can't see how someone so smart can be so wrong, would that help?

That actually made me smile.

And yes, there are reasons i limit my media intake to only certain (kinds of) sources.

I'd rather be a bitch...

[hedy.livejournal.com]

I thought it would.


you know what I mean.

[oatmilk.livejournal.com]

well you know i already disagree with almost everything everyone else says just on the sheer principle of it all but hopefully you also know i'd never try to squish them with it.

peace o.o

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

And here i thought i was the only resident devil's advocate :)

You said something brilliant a while back about friendship despite differences, but now i don't remember what it was. But yes, i very much appreciate people who aren't out to squish other people.

*snuggles you*

[oatmilk.livejournal.com]

ha! as everything i say is brilliant indeed it must be hard to remember it all

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

*sticks tongue out*

[antheia.livejournal.com]

I won't lie - I have often been on the verge of defriending you over your political assertions. And more often than not found myself wondering, in a way similar to that mentioned by hedy herein, how someone who is so smart can be so bloody wrong. As a result of your intelligence (in a continuing vein of brutal honesty) I am more disheartened by your opinions than by those I consider to be ignorant, ill-informed and single minded. I would so dearly love to be able to write off the entirety of the Right by claiming that they are all ignorant, bigoted assholes, but I know that's not true. As much as it's not true that all on the Left are open-minded, well-informed and pure of heart.

Moving on to my own postings about politics, I have a very simple attitude: posting in my journal means I don't have to justify my decision making process. I know what I believe, I know why I believe it, and I know why I am justified in my beliefs. I'm not using my lj as a political forum, per se, and therefore, don't feel the need for great explanation, unless asked directly. ::shrug::

I can see the other side (i.e., the article I posted this morning about the man who ran the "abortion clinic hotline" - he probably thought that he was saving lives. I don't believe it makes his actions any more acceptable.)

I don't know how much of your vitriol was directed my way, but that's my nickel.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

I won't lie - I have often been on the verge of defriending you over your political assertions.

Ditto.

And i definitely know the feeling of "How can this intelligent good-hearted person be so wrong?" My dad expresses that sentiment a lot, and i imagine i will more and more the more i get involved in political discourse.

I would so dearly love to be able to write off the entirety of the Right by claiming that they are all ignorant, bigoted assholes, but I know that's not true. As much as it's not true that all on the Left are open-minded, well-informed and pure of heart.

I quite enjoy being That Girl proving that [insert subgroup here] is not all evil and scary.

And you don't know how much i appreciate a Left-identified person admitting that other Left-identified persons can be less than perfect politically. The idea that "But they are on my side -- therefore whatever they say/do/think must be Pure and Good" drives me absolutely insane.

I checked out the abortion clinic link against my better judgment (abortion issues always make my stomach get all knotty because i believe abortion to be morally wrong but also believe things would be a lot worse if it were outlawed, so i tend to feel uncomfortable with anyone's rhetoric) and i definitely think the guy was in the wrong. Dishonesty/deceit/disingenuousness ranks really high on the list of things i really can't take in people.

You hadn't said anything recently that prompted frustration, but since your politics are so very much not mine and you post about politics with some relative frequency, you probably contribute to a good percentage of the cumulative frustration. I do appreciate that we can continue to be civil and respectful and not relegate each other to StupidEvil.

[lilithchilde.livejournal.com]

Pretty much what hedy said. I've never considered unfriending you, because though you are so very wrong about politics so much of the time (as far as I'm concerned), you are fairly careful and quite intelligent about it, and we have enough other things to talk about. And I, y'know, care about you.

Admittedly, though, I've been disinclined to engage with your political opinions lately, because I frankly can't take the stress. So I've been not-reading your political posts.

I do fancy that I'm pretty careful to problematize most of my own opinion posts, whether on politics or other things, but not necessarily to your level, because I don't always agree that such is the right or necessary thing to do. Eventually, I have opinions and while there are always going to be qualifications and exceptions, it's a good idea to listen to instincts too, and to say what I think simply. Also, occasionally I just want to vent, and as antheia said, I reserve the right not to justify every bit of my decision making process when I'm posting in my own journal. Obviously I'm aware that this leaves me open to criticism, but I'm coming to a point when I sometimes want to say what I think without so much complication, and I trust that my friends are people who can deal with a little unadulterated opinion.

I don't actually think this post was probably directed at me, since I don't think I've talked about politics recently (aside from a brief statement approving of Kerry's speech). Still, I thought that bore saying.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

Discussions of any length about just about anything (from aesthetics to religion to politics) tend to end up with the fact that we have discrepant foundational principles. We also manage to have civil, respectful, honest, interesting, informative&informed, discussions. I appreciate this a lot.

You are entirely entitled to skip the political posts. I've said before and will say again that i get burnt out on politics. I totally understand the need to take a break, or at least to not engage with people who disagree. Because not everyone wants to engage about politics, i try to cut-tag the stuff.

The frustrated screaming? So not directed at you. You get "safe person" status even. You may not always want to talk about the things we disagree on, which is totally understandable, but i know it's safe for me to believe and even state things at odds with what you believe.

And you do think about what you say/believe. While i expect people to think before coming to opinions, i don't they're obligated to elaborate upon their entire reasoning process to the world at large. Honestly, one reason i'm far more likely to post elaborate rationales/explanations than most people (besides my addiction to problematizing, qualification, etc.) is that i feel defensive. Most people... are being read by people who for the most part agree with them. They don't need to explain themselves. I, on the other hand, had better have some damn good reasons for siding with the Antichrist.

[hedy.livejournal.com]

So is Allie's journal a safe space?

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

*thinks* Well Allie's journal is frequented by her people, who don't all necessarily come under the heading "safe people" (not that i think they're bad people, dear) so no, i wouldn't say her journal counts as safe space, 'cause there i have to defend myself and i expect to be misunderstood or at least have the initial reaction to my opinions be less than supportive.

[rhipowered.livejournal.com]

Pretty much what hedy said. I've never considered unfriending you, because though you are so very wrong about politics so much of the time (as far as I'm concerned), you are fairly careful and quite intelligent about it, and we have enough other things to talk about. And I, y'know, care about you.

Exactly! I skim your political rants, because I LIKE JOHN KERRY. [liberal!cooties]

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

Ew, cooties! *runs away*

[sk8eeyore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I hear you, believe me.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

*hugs you back*

[zzrg.livejournal.com]

I have always admired the way you have stated your beliefs in a very non-confrontational yet intellectualy rigourous way. I am hoping that one of these days you'll be writing columns for a major media outlet, but that is a selfish wish on my part because you are one of the few people that have interesting things to say about things I tend not to agree with. Best wishes, rob

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

I have always admired the way you have stated your beliefs in a very non-confrontational yet intellectualy rigourous way.

Thank you, i appreciate that.

I have been rather soured on op-ed column writing, but it is still something i'd potentially like to pursue freelance in the future.

[bella-loki.livejournal.com]

I don't think it matters if people don't agree. (does it make me fucked up that "wrong" hardly exists in my head anymore?) Wouldn't it be worse to never say anything at all?