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Michael's avatar

Great distinctions Tessa. The language aspect is important - words are maps of the territory being discussed, not the territory itself. This itself is important to keep in mind.

It is further complicated by so many of our exchanges being written, and online, and thought out only in our own minds... whereas oral cultures created knowledge by way of negotiation - one person speakes and then the other feeds back their take, until common ground is found.

Further complicating matters still are the biases of particular languages, in particular English, which color our perceptions. This includes the syntax of sentences.

Your point is particularly well-taken that it is helpful to accept how much we don't really know, since so much of what is considered objective are models. Some would argue that objectivity itself is questionable, as it is all based on projections - I think this is one of the complexities humanity is dealing with in general right now.

What I find is that there are a precious few things I actually can know, and they are usually learned through suffering and compassion. When we get down to such root things, we can begin to rebuild a consensus reality. This is why TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION processes are so important, for they take into account the SUBJECTIVE experience of numerous parties, especially victims of violence or genocide. And from these perspectives, we can hone in on a common reality again. Indigneous perspectives are particularly important in so many ways including this one. As we strive to overcome the current push by bosses to colonize all of humanity and life, we can learn much from those who have been resisting this assault for 500+ years. Grateful to you <3

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Unacceptable Bob's avatar

I was triggered by vaccine mandates, and mandatory mask wearing.

I'm still triggered by loud people on the bus.

Tyrants don't trigger me, because I don't associate with them.

Not associating with unpleasant people is a good form of inoculation. But most regular people I encounter in public are far from being unpleasant. Maybe it's the rural character vs. uptight city folks.

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