Mnementh said:
Don't get me wrong. I educated myself and learned about these terms. But most people will not and I too felt that this was an unnessecary step and a complication. But in the end it is a sign of elitism to use a specialized vocabulary. If people don't understand you without learning a lot of stuff, you will not convince them about your point of view. Using a special vocabulary works well in a small circle of 'initiated'. We as gamers use special terms specific to gamers. Like RPG, cut-scene, lag, aggro, party and so on. Using these terms in your circle is fine. But it fails the moment you try to communicate outside that circle. If you want that communication, you can't ask the others to learn your vocabulary. In politics you want to communicate outside of your circle. Because otherwise you lose, at least in democracies. You need to communicate to a lot of people and convince them, to get the change you want. That is why the usage of the specialized vocabulary is damning. Funny enough that left and right do it both. Maybe extreme was the wrong word. I meant a group, that stands aside the mainstream. Extreme is often negatively associated, but you can use it neutral. But probably it is also not what I meant. I meant more a group that started to exclusively move in their own circles, therefore using the specialized vocabulary more and more as normal. That is what I understand if Jaicee references Jane Average. Sure enough even 'average' people are very differently. But there is a common core language that can be used to communicate with nearly everyone. If you want a change, you should use that. That doesn't mean that these words are per se bad, but you should be aware if the other side of your communication can understand these terms and their implications. You should realize what using a specialized language makes with persons that not usually come into contact with these terms do. They feel excluded. Language can be used to separate the "Plebs" and the aristocracy. That can be intention or not, but normal person often understand a strong usage of many such terms as a separating language. Even if they understand the term, but it doesn't get into their day-to-day life a person making much use of such terms can come off as "the other one that doesn't understand a bit our life". Really, no way to convince people of the need of certain actions. This is the same for right circles. "gynocentrism" as Jaicee said as an example is as much strange language as "cisgender". Use that terms sparsely and be ready to explain them if you communicate to the general public. |
Ehhh I have a bit of a problem with a person's gender identity being seen as "specialized vocabulary"
As a trans rights activist I've definitely had to use the word cis to draw distinctions when explaining to people about the trans experience. It's part of the job to explain and raise awareness.
I'm really just stating that it's ridiculous to say someone is a sjw just because they happen to use a word that's really not even connected to sjws.
Anyways I've taken what you've said and agree with most of it.
