#NotAllGeneralizations

Having a conversation without generalizing is impossible, yet there is no shortage of people telling us we shouldn’t generalize.



They hate it, they say. They just cannot have it.

It gets weirder. If you tend to speak broadly about a group, they censure you for speaking about the entirety of the group, all of them, as if you were in fact speaking about the entirety of the group.

I suspect that they are letting the words do the thinking for them. I say that because if it was up to them, you’d be required by law to provide some caveat or other, explaining how you are not talking about every single instance of every single category—an impossibility—but are in fact generalizing, something I suspect they knew well before they wanted you to admit it. That they refuse to do this with their own generalizations makes compromise all the more tedious.

To be fair, you could be generalizing based on insufficient evidence,unrepresentative samples, by suppressing counter evidence, jumping to conclusions, and so on. Their criticisms would be justified in these cases.

Instead of conforming to their speech demands, encumbering your own language in the process, realize that generalizing from particular instances—inductive reasoning—is a fact of human life.

#NotAllGeneralizations

a reply to: LesMisanthrope


Ummm...generally speaking...specificity is a weapon meted out to those who dare to question presumption...

Presumptively speaking...is a method of targeting...often associated with labeling...one is presumed...then one is targeted with a label...
If you choose to deny such favor...then other tactics are forthcoming...One then gets to suffer the umbrage of having a countering opinion and is soundly browbeaten with appropriation...
Specifically...one has appropriated...not cultural artifacts...rather...one has usurped place...and position...

We are not a castless society...our casts merely wear the mask of clique...association...gang...and group...

Tribalism...alive and well...

Shaken...not stirred...





YouSir

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

there's a difference between generalization and blatantly judging people by the worst of the worst of their race/faith /ideals /or words uttered by one person.

show me an active ATS user whom does not do the above, and ill show you... im capable of retracting something I've said erroneously.

originally posted by: odzeandennz
a reply to: LesMisanthrope

there's a difference between generalization and blatantly judging people by the worst of the worst of their race/faith /ideals /or words uttered by one person.

show me an active ATS user whom does not do the above, and ill show you... im capable of retracting something I've said erroneously.

I would agree. Under which heading does your claim about ATS users fall?

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

The problem with stereotypes is every time you have one there will be some shred of humanity to prove you wrong. I think it's better to embrace the idea we are all different so in reality everyone is virtually the same.

Whether we like it or not, there is some truth to stereotypes.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

It's a post-modernistic argument which basically disavows logic. Hence we get the idea that math is racist. You are using logic to defend your position and are therefore hopelessly flawed in their world view. It's an idea quite fashionable in many areas of higher education and one readily accepted by ignorant teenagers as it justifies their lack of a cohesive world view.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope



Kinda like "ALL Indians walk single file, at least the ONLY one I knew did..."


Stay Hydrated...

originally posted by: Edumakated
Whether we like it or not, there is some truth to stereotypes.

Whether you like it or not, there is also a lot of fiction to stereotypes too.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: Edumakated
Whether we like it or not, there is some truth to stereotypes.

Whether you like it or not, there is also a lot of fiction to stereotypes too.

Yes, not everyone fits the mold of a stereotype. That is obvious. However, you can't deny that stereotypes have a shred of truth to them.

We all make generalizations about people in absence of more personal interaction. Sometimes these generalizations may be true, other times they may be false. However, the reality is that we can't get to know everyone personally, so we have to make judgment calls.

Black people are not generally found in the top rankings of competitive world swimmers, white guys can't jump.
British men are involved in more vehicle accidents than British women.
Travellers in the UK generally leave loads of rubbish behind before they are evicted.
The Chinese community in the UK borrows less per capita from sources outside the family than any other demographic.
More?

ETA
The US military is crap at rugby compared to the Royal Navy last month...
RN 104 - 5 US Marine corps
RN 64 - 0 US Naval Accademy
lol