05-29-2019, 02:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-29-2019, 02:29 PM by Bring4th_Austin.)
(05-29-2019, 01:29 PM)Louisabell Wrote: Having said that, I think assigning motive to others without serious consideration is unwise. My understanding of the NPC meme is that it is coming from a place of frustration from a group of people who believe that their biggest challenge when going up against mainstream culture is the way people are indoctrinated into it and the resulting herd mentality. There are bits of truth to this social dynamic that I think we can all relate to. And yes, it is frustrating when you are surrounded by people who you believe to be doing irrational things just because they see other people doing it.
I'm sure some people who use the NPC meme do want to dehumanize their political opponents and may even think things would be better if they wiped out all NPCs, but I also think the majority of people using the NPC meme are doing so as a jovial way to invite others to "start thinking for themselves and start playing the game with them as a real unique player". Like a friendly, "come on man, don't be that guy". Most people tend to be good, and we shouldn't let the sociopathic extremists ruin everything, on all sides of the argument.
I agree that I think it's unwise to assign motive to others. I even sense in my own reaction to the NPC meme a sort of "dehumanization" of the people who use the meme. I think that a big hurdle in navigating the current sociopolitical waters is that trauma of oppressed groups is rising up in our collective consciousness and with trauma comes natural and understandably high emotions. Those high emotions tend to breed highly emotional responses, especially when they're directed at people. Upon which there is a volley of back and forth escalating emotion. This feedback loop perpetuates ideological lines of division. I think we should all be sensitive to root of whatever emotions we are witnessing in others, even when it seems like those emotions are aggressively directed towards us. Not only do I think that's the loving thing to do, but probably the most effective way of breaking the ideological barriers and actually furthering various progressive causes.
Though I will say I didn't interpret Jade to be assigning motive to users of the NPC meme, only point out its effect. I generally think you're right about the use of the NPC meme, but whether intentional or unintentional it still has the effect of dehumanization, which creates a more palatable atmosphere for violence (whether physical or otherwise).
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The only frontier that has ever existed is the self.
The only frontier that has ever existed is the self.