#define your terms

[tributary]

i think that a lot of people say ‘religion’ when they mean ‘top-down systems of ideological control that may or may not have theological elements.’ but that’s much longer to say

[intjintherain]

ENFP: You are special.

INTJ: Define special.

ENFP: Important. You are important.

INTJ: Define important.

ENFP: Um...you mean a lot.

INTJ: And what does that mean?

ENFP: OK FINE YOU SUCK

INTJ: I’m sorry, but could you specify what you mean by that?

[yessoupy]

look if someone out there is super bitter at harry because they think he broke up with louis or something, that’s not an ex-larrie. they’re still a tinhat. an ex-larrie is someone who looked back and realized that they believed in a conspiracy theory and they STOPPED BEING A CONSPIRACY THEORIST.

[tributary]

you’re much better off saying what you believe and which policies you support than slapping on a label and expecting other people to fill in the blanks

[spilledparchment]

Hey @staff - define “adult content” like am I still allowed to swear? Talk about voting? Discuss the frustrations of working 9-5?

[subjectivesense]

I understand where people are coming from when they say “Victoria’s Secret models aren’t role models” but like...I don’t. They’re reductionist and essentialist. They’re contributing to the same culture they’re trying to critique - saying we shouldn’t judge our worth by our bodies, but what do they know about the models walking in the VS show other than their bodies? Imo, they’re looking at the VS models and only seeing bodies. Empty vessels, rather than people. 

[millievfence]

I keep half writing posts on emotional labor and then losing them.  The original use of the term was for something very specific involving paid work, and it’s important we not confuse those things with other things that also take in energy and put out something involving emotions.  But I don’t think the term “emotional labor” actually does a very good job at indicating what is specific to [emotional labor].

One aspect is that it is paid, but I don’t think that’s actually very important.  A 17 year old is more beholden to their parents than I am to my boss.  I have a pretty privileged job, but that is my point: people are using paid as a substitute for mandatory, and that is incorrect.

Another aspects of the archetypal emotional labor situation is that it involves being obligated to pretend to feel a certain way as a method to make another person feel a certain way (e.g. pretend you like them so they can feel happy).  This is a very different kind of thing than cuddling with a crying friend, or sending thank you notes to your husband’s family.   Work is not the only place this happens (”Aren’t you happy I got you this gift?” “Aren’t you thrilled and grateful I’m eating you out?”)

I’m tentatively naming this “emotional management”.  The fact that it refers to managing your own emotions, other people’s emotions, and other people’s emotions via your emotions is probably a point in favor of it but possibly a detractor.

[aboundlesswombofcultivations]

#DYTCoalition Policy Update

The current acting members of the Define Your Terms Coalition have unanimously voted to ban the following rhetorical argument for the sake of conversational clarity and political effectiveness.

“This election is about the [insert type of middle class typical american] that I met in [swing state] who came to me with tears in their eyes because [thing that middle class people can't afford or are afraid of]” 

Is not longer a valid start, response, or conclusion of political debate as established by the Define Your Terms Coalition due to it’s heavy handed emotional appeal and misrepresentation of an individual for the statistical average.