there is no higher form of literature than olde-ass europeans trying to explain the skunk
“The other is a low animal, about the size
of a little dog or cat. I mention it here, not on account of its
excellence, but to make of it a symbol of sin. I have seen three or
four of them. It has black fur, quite beautiful and shining; and has
upon its back two perfectly white stripes, which join near the neck and
tail, making an oval which adds greatly to their grace. The tail is
bushy and [163] well furnished with hair, like the tail of a Fox; it
carries it curled back like that of a Squirrel. It is more white than
black; and, at the first glance, you would say, especially when it
walks, that it ought to be called Jupiter’s little dog. But it is so
stinking, and casts so foul an odor, that it is unworthy of being called
the dog of Pluto. No sewer ever smelled so bad. I would not have
believed it if I had not smelled it myself. Your heart almost fails you
when you approach the animal; two have been killed in our court, and
several days afterward there was such a dreadful odor throughout our
house that we could not endure it. I believe the sin smelled by sainte
Catherine de Sienne must have had the same vile odor.”
Nearly every decent guy I have ever met has come to a sort of understanding that they don’t want to be threatened anymore. That there are these forces in our world that think using women and minorities or poor people or whatever to threaten them will keep them in line. Many of them have told me about this kind of alienation they feel when they realize that half the things they took for granted, thought were jokes, thought was just talk among friends, were just threats. Threats from other men reminding them that if they step out of line, they’ll be worthy of ridicule, mockery, or even violence. Threats from a consumer society that if they don’t work a certain amount, buy things a certain way, they degrade themselves. Threats that even lampshade threats, and promise an end to feeling threatened… if they only threaten others like a smart cool and strong person ought to. But the threats don’t come from people who are really superior all the time. Many come from people who aren’t even worth listening to, not very cool or admirable people. But the volume of threats seems to ease that? It’s constant violent messages to stay in line, play along, and not ruin anybody else’s setup they have that generates money or satisfaction or a sense of self-actualization.
And like, it’s probably uncomfortable and even painful in some ways to like… not have an explanation where emotions of feeling threatened are coming from, probably. That may be why it’s so easy to rope some guys in like, ‘the feminists are why you feel threatened’, ‘the jews are why’, ‘black people and immigrants and gays are why.’ Whatever some asshole decides. Because some kind of easy logic that gives the feelings of threat a source will always be successful. But the truth is that our modern gender roles are highly dependent on people directly and indirectly threatening one another over how to behave and how to feel. It’s a diffused form of threat that comes from our whole world, not any faction you could ever pin down and then oppose.
It’s so easy to reach men by just suggesting that maybe they don’t have to feel bullied anymore.
quick protip: if someone is crying or freaking out over something minor, eg wifi not connecting, can’t find their hat, people talking too loud, do NOT tell them how small or petty the problem is to make it better. they know. they would probably love to calm down. you are doing the furthest possible thing from helping. people don’t have to earn expressions of feelings.
I’m just gonna put it out there that if someone’s freaking about something small, they’re really freaking out about something big that they’re trying to deal with, or something long term that’s been building up, and that little thing is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I don’t know, try and give people the benefit of the doubt. Don’t be the next straw on their broken back.
Needed this today.
People don’t actually go from 0 to 60. If you think they did, you have failed to notice how long they’ve been at 59.
People don’t actually go from 0 to 60. If you think they did, you have failed to notice how long they’ve been at 59.
Once more for the people in the back:
PEOPLE DON’T ACTUALLY GO FROM 0 TO 60. IF YOU THINK THEY DID, YOU HAVE FAILED TO NOTICE HOW LONG THEY’VE BEEN AT 59.
Urocyon's Jaunts 2.0 
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