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PaperclipPerfector  2mo ago (text post)   29570 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 26, 2024

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The supposed circularity of woman is just whenever people use quotes to say something like identifies as "woman." You sidestep that by changing the word to "ma'am" but what if someone says, "err, but you're not a ma'am"? Then you need to define ma'am and then you might run into some circularity.

If you don't want to define ma'am then it turns out woman is just a cluster unified by an arbitrary desire to be called a certain word. Realistically, it's also an arbitrary desire to be treated a certain way in general.

With tall and nerd you don't need to make reference to "quoted" "labels" and self-ID, so you are unlikely to run into any circularity.

I will re-iterate that the supposed circularity is not really the objection to trans activist policy and culture proposals. A significant part of the population thinks the trans desire is unreasonable. The circularity of the new woman definition is a strategy to give trans people what they desire (certain social privileges and connotations).

but what if someone says, "err, but you're not a ma'am"?

That would seem like a weird thing to say, since "ma'am" is how most people refer to me, and it'll confuse other people if you refer to me as "sir".

an arbitrary desire to be called a certain word.

I mean, isn't that how names work? What's wrong with wanting to be called a certain word? I'm not forcing anyone to use it

That would seem like a weird thing to say

You're not a ma'am. If you're going to continue to insist that you are, then please define ma'am.

You're not a ma'am.

It's simply a matter of fact that when people greet me, they use "ma'am" instead of "sir". I'm not sure what's unclear about that sentence.

please define ma'am.

"ma'am" is the word other people use to greet me. I'm surprised you haven't run into it before? You'd have to ask them what they mean by it, I'm not the one using it.

"ma'am" is the word other people use to greet me. I'm surprised you haven't run into it before? You'd have to ask them what they mean by it, I'm not the one using it.

But sir, you said that you prefer to be called "ma'am." Why do you have a preference if you don't know what they mean?

Again: "ma'am" is a cluster of behaviors, not just a word. People who call me "ma'am" tend to treat me with respect, while people who call me "sir" tend to be assholes. Seems like pretty obvious incentive structures?

Are there any people who call you sir and treat you with respect? Or is the mere act of calling you sir disrespectful?

Yes ma'am, there are a few such people. Otherwise I'd find the sir/ma'am distinction sufficient, without gesturing at the broader cluster.

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