here's the thing: everyone complains about late capitalism and how alienated and isolated we all are. everyone acknowledges this, and reassures each other of this, alone.

you need to get out of yourself, and your head, and your small bubble of one, and you need to go see old friends, or former friends, or people in your social circle who are just meh, or your annoying roommates, or your co-workers, or your former co-workers, or your lame family members, or your lame and bigoted family members, or strangers at a bar, or whomever, and party. meeting people is praxis, strengthening relationships is praxis, making yourself seen and vulnerable to another is praxis. please, guys, go out.

this, here, now, is a facsimile, mediated through a thousand screens. go kiss, go get kissed, go reject a kiss, go be denied a kiss. go out.

  • UlyssesT [he/him]
    ·
    2 years ago

    but if it gives someone the kick they need then it’s valid

    It might give "the kick" to some but it may further kick down on those that would otherwise be most in need of help. I've encouraged people I've personally known to come out of their shells and it took patience and understanding and tolerance for setbacks, not "tough love" aggression and all its overlap with chuddy "self-help" and "get rich quick" books you'll find at your local copy shop.

    • Yeat [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      you’re definitely right but i don’t think it’s fair to expect patience and all of that out of a simple 3 paragraph post, that comes with forming a personal connection with someone and communicating with them over a long period of time. i also don’t really see how the op is tough love or aggressive or anything like that either, they aren’t looking down on other users for not going out or saying anything bad about them

      • UlyssesT [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Encouraging people to go out and take risks and be emotionally vulnerable (which is indeed necessary for personal growth because we are social creatures) is a lot easier when the person feels like someone is there to catch them if they metaphorically fall. For that reason, the encouragement works best when it's personal and personalized, or at the very least patient and understanding if it's from someone the person doesn't know too closely.

        By contrast, some internet stranger chanting "touch grass" at them in a smug and condescending way is quite likely to put people that could really benefit from taking those social risks further on the defensive.

        • robot_dog_with_gun [they/them]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Encouraging people to go out and take risks and be emotionally vulnerable (which is indeed necessary for personal growth because we are social creatures) is a lot easier when the person feels like someone is there to catch them if they metaphorically fall. For that reason, the encouragement works best when it’s personal and personalized, or at the very least patient and understanding if it’s from someone the person doesn’t know too closely.

          :chefs-kiss: