Just for the record, racerx, my comments about beautiful children in the interracial realtionships thread weren’t intended as purely superficial aethestic judgments. I was celebrating the fact that these kids exist at all. They’re the best possible triumph of sense over idiocy, i.e. the hateful old bugaboo, “omigod, you can’t mate across racial lines; the kids will be piebald!” They’re here and they’re just fine, thank you very much.
As far as pitying you for not liking pets or wanting kids, sure I’ll feel sorry for you. I can’t get something myself if I’m not willing to grant it. I adore totally unearned sympathy. Some people gain immense pleasure, satisfaction and joy from sports and opera: I just plain don’t “get” either one. Actually, rumor has it some people can actually enjoy math: gives me a whopping headache. Those folks appreciate parts of life that I can’t; tried, just can’t get the hang of it.
racerx, which of your breasts is Chim Chim and which is right ascension?
It may seem obvious that the right one would be right ascension, leaving Chim Chim to the left, but you said you didn’t name them yourself, so maybe right ascension is on the right as viewed by others, so it would be the left.
Veb You’re argument about my misinterpreting your meaning for “beauty” is the first thing I’ve heard that makes sense. While I assumed that everyone in the thread was using the traditional asthetic meaning, I appreciate your clarification.
As far as unwarranted sympathy, I can’t think of a situation where I’d like it. To me it’s like introducing my SO to my friend and having them say, “Oh, I feel so sorry for you,” when I am perfectly happy with my boy. It is just insulting.
Expressing that they “feel sorry for you” in an argument is another person’s way of being condescending. I haven’t read the threads you’re pointing to, and I’m not inclined to. But I’ve run into that discussion tactic before. It’s maddening, but I try to laugh as much as possible.
Someone on the boards once said they “felt sorry for me” because I said I didn’t like a movie they happened to loved. A MOVIE! My life is apparently a meaningless wasteland because I don’t enjoy the same strip of celluloid that they do. Bwaahahahahahahaha. I guess I can can expect a huge fricking sympathy bouquet from them for the hangnail I just discovered? Perhaps a tree planted in my honor when I tell them of my $400 car repair?
It’s a dig, and I understand your annoyance. But it says more about them than you, because there are plenty of ways to disagree with someone without adding the subtle and not-so-subtle slams.
Thank you, racerx. Now I’ll be able to sleep tonight.
As to the OP, I’m with what cranky just said. Regardless of the validity of racerx’s opinions about appearance vs. innards, babies, pets or what have you, it’s insufferably smug and condescending for people to “feel sorry for you” for holding those opinions.
Kind of odd to see those sentiments outside of religious discussions. I usually get the “I feel sorry for you” remarks when I tell people I’m an atheist. It makes me want to go postal.
Thanks for the validation, Five and Cranky, both in regards to the OP and my breasts. Now that they are pierced, I secretly call my breasts “my pretty titties.” Not so secretly now, I suppose.
racerx and I still don’t see eye to eye on some things (which is fine).
Well, when this started, we were talking about comments that I and a few others made. Most of racerx’s responses were talking about the way society does this, does that … and not specifically about my comments. So if that wasn’t your intention, fair enough.
Re: the condescending tone
I think you can feasibly replace “It is frustrating to me that…” anywhere where I said “I felt sorry for you because…” and my point is essentially the same. Ignoring the semantics (which I didn’t think would be this much of an issue), I still hold my point, and racerx holds hers. Going forward, to avoid pit threads such as this, I’ll choose my words more carefully.
And Christ, this Pit thread is wayyyyyy to feely goody. I think we should all shove eggrolls straight out of the deep fryer up our asses and then continue this discussion, to bring some spice into this discussion.
How can you do such a thing? Your breasts are going to grow up in this putrid society knowing that they are only appreciated for their beauty. You can’t do that to them. I’m sure what’s inside your breasts is much more important than what they look like. [sub]Oh wait a minute…that might not apply here.[/sub]
Well, no one can take a pit thread with my breasts in it seriously. One of them is named after an anime monkey, for cryin out loud.
Unless you have more to add to this discussion, this discussion is over, because while I understand what you are saying in this discussion, I don’t necessarily agree with your arguments in this discussion. But I appreciate all you’ve said, because now I understand a little more about people than I did before, which for me, is gratifying.
Oh, and I couldn’t let this one slip by. Piercing is something I have control over, it is a choice therefore doesn’t fall into the same category as the god-given appearance. See if I do something to alter my outward appearance, I want that to say something about me. But my height, race, etc shouldn’t say anything about me because it is something I don’t have control over. Get it?
So if a couple has a child genetically predisposed to be a dwarf, but they opt for growth hormone treatments so that the child grows up to an average height, it would then be cool to compliment the parents with, “Wow, your kid is tall?”
