Diversity? Seriously? That is what you call diversity? No wonder I hate when I hear someone say diversity these days.
Diversity? Seriously? That is what you call diversity? No wonder I hate when I hear someone say diversity these days.
In a world where people are supposedly fighting racism a favored word is diversity and it has increasingly become one of the buzzwords I hate. It is something that a would be politician can utter than will immediately put them out of the running as far as whether I'd vote for them or not.
Why?
Am I racist?
No. Not in the least.
Do I like variety?
I love it. My life has been about attraction to unusual ideas, unusual people, and as much NEW experiences as I could find. In fact, if some band for example "sounds like X" then I might actually like X, but that doesn't mean I'll like a clone. I like new. I don't care for copies. With that said I'll say a quest for variety has been a big motivator in my life.
So if I hate the word diversity as it is used these days does that mean I'm a bigot?
Actually, yes. I am a bigot. I hate bigots. So I must also shelter an element of self loathing.
Ahhh... human nature, you wonderous mess of good and bad. Variety is the spice of life they say.
So my hate for the word diversity can't really stem from what the word is supposed to mean, because that happens to be one of the cornerstones of my personal experience. My interpretation of it would stem from the word FREEDOM as shouted by Mel Gibson playing William Wallace in the movie Braveheart.
So what is it? I actually think I found out why I hate it as used today. I will say the word HATE is a powerful word and should not be used casually. For me it applies in this case. There are a few things I hate. I actually hate bigotry. Racism is just a subset of bigotry.
So what is racism?
Well it is this concept that a person's meat suit also known as their body defines that person. Really? This doesn't define a person for me. Looking back it never has. Your body is not what I think of when I think of you. I think of your creativity, your personality, and what wonders or horrors of your mind you are willing to share with me. Those things in my mind are who make you, you. Your body is simply the meat suit that let's you give action to your thoughts.
Your actions can be good or bad, but they certainly are not defined by your body. They are defined by your choices.
So why then do I hate the term diversity as it is used these days?
Simple. It is the opposite of diversity. It focuses on making certain that there is a variety of different meat suits. There are some meat suits that are less desireable. It doesn't focus on what actually makes a person themselves and unique at all. In fact it seeks to homogenize thought, personality, and action. It seeks conformity of thought and belief.
This is not variety other than in meat suit. This is not diversity of thought. This is not diversity of people. It is not a celebration of individuality. It is a cult like indulgence in restricting thought, and banishing those who are non-believers.
It is not diversity. So perhaps my hate stems from my ire at seeing yet another word hijacked for political agendas.
I very much dislike identity politics. If you want me to accept you, welcome you, and treat you with respect. You already have that on the day I meet you. It is your actions, words, and choices that can cause me to take that respect back. For me you do not need to earn respect. I'll give you that freely. It is also yours to lose.
I live by the true meaning of diversity. It doesn't give a damn what your meat suit looks like. Bring on diverse thoughts, diverse creations, diverse personalities, etc. What you choose to dress that up in, or what your God(s)/Reality chose to endow you with at birth... for me that isn't you. Your choices make you the person as far as I am concerned.
So I watch something like the Grammys bragging about "the most diverse show ever" followed by "and the least diverse host ever" (white, blond hair, blue eyes) and I was suddenly disgusted. Did I think it was funny?
Not even as funny as "Why did the chicken cross the road?" When you choose to try to spin a term that is being used to fuel identity politics as funny and in the state of the world these days due to this crap it is not funny.
Grow up! Start using your mind! Start learning who people REALLY are and quit worrying about their body! It is easy, if you'd just take the time to do it.
Stop letting these morons in Hollywood and the media do your thinking for you. They are idiots and clearly have no clue what diversity means. Perhaps that is why they keep recycling the same movies, and shows over and over again.
They are trying to be diverse right?
Perhaps that is why they now make shows that are almost 100% black. Even if the issue were our bodies that would not be a representation of diversity in that situation either would it?
The problem is... there is a name for focusing on the outward appearance of people and making that the issue. It is called bigotry. It is called racism. My problem is that these idiots every time they use the term "diversity" the way they do are promoting racism.
Grow up! If they taught that to you in college demand your money back as your instructors were indoctrinated minions.
Personally, I can't stand diversity purely for the sake of diversity. While there is value in exposure to different cultures and ideas, most of that value is lost if someone is forced into that situation.
For the most part, it is human nature to want to be around people who are like you and who you share values and commonality with. And you know what? That is OKAY. It does not make you a racist or a bigot to want to be around people you are comfortable with.
Personally I think this whole concept of forcing diversity down people's throats is creating a backlash. I never used to think about anything in terms of race, but the identity politics culture is currently inescapable these days. It's very annoying to constantly have other people on a soap box preaching at you when you are literally minding your own business and trying to just live your life.
You should think more about things in terms of race, because racism is real, I was blessed to see it in one of it's most in your face forms, the treatment of the gypsies by the Romanians, a racism that is actually pervasive throught the world against the Roma in UK and to the rest of europe, and all the way to their very begining of the lowest class of the low class in the ancient indian hierarchy still in force today.
The only racism doesn't exist are these few who have been awash as "what racism" ever since the unicorn, MLK somehow changed things with a fucking march, Grow the Fuck UP, racism in america is obvious from the treatment of the bottom rung of the ladder, to the unmatched genocidal conquest of the land by slaves 100 years after slavery had been abolished in the Motherland, where people still denied racism or excused it but did it a lot more bluntly even if it was fabricated directly for the purpose of subjugating others, they treated their slaves nice, and they had no problem with a Freed Black Person.
Forced diversity can become racism as well. When diversity becomes "anything but white" then that is still racism.
Race doesn't matter one iota to me. I don't actually give a damn about race.
I care about who you are, and I don't see that as defined by skin color, or race. Your mind, your personality, your beliefs, your creations, your destructions. These are all important to me.
True diversity cannot occur if those things are homogenized into everyone thinking the same or being treated as "Racist" simply for disagreeing. That isn't diversity at all. That is conformity.
The point I was making is that racism, or socioeconomic segregation and systemic discrimination is something that you ought to recognize and acknowledge.
Race doesn't matter one iota to me. I don't actually give a damn about race.
Racism as opposed to bigotry manifests itself in inequality in justice and punishment, healthcare and education, heritage and history, culture conceived from slavery amid bloodsoaked soil of genocidal wars presented as manifest destiny, a culture presented in a certain light by the same powers that had not one but two World Science Fair themed on Eugenics , the easy to sweep away into obscurity, the history of the science behind discrimination. Tell me again about forced-diversity.
History doesn't matter as well, reality as well.
Yeah, you are blind to history, blind to reality, color blind, because your opinion is that racism is judging someone by the color of their skin which is actually reverse racism, forced diversity and don't mind the hanging negro in the oak.
What things? True diversity is a blabbering point that's avoiding the obvious racism evident through history and neatly discarded and avoided through these talking points standing in that absence, because it's not about anything other than Generational Trauma which cannot be healed without acknowledgement and which will continue to fester a divisive sentiment since most have a problem even contemplating the reality of racism outside the framework of bigotry or hurling insults, and racism is akin to a kick to the teeth each chance you take a chance or dare consider yourself equal, and this figurative treatment hasn't gone away, it's only morphed into a disregard and indifference by choice, it's akin to you choosing not to see history and reality, a fine place to discuss or contemplate from upon what you've more or less agreed to being mitigated to reverse racism and forced diversity, in the context of I don't even care. Even Steven would mean all work done by former slaves is owed to their prodigy and as rightful heirs their prodigy would be an economic force that wouldn't be matched, and right about now if you're trembling thinking about all these blacks having money. The disparaging socioeconomic differences are the result of engineered and orchestrated Generational Cultural And Economic Robbery and it takes a great deal of denial to avoid the facts, the last place where the dialogue of racism could be had is in front of some syndicated show, even that silly awards show parrots the same sentiment of divisive indifference to history and blaring abortion of culture that's passed off as hot, now, raw, real. No, that's only an abortion of culture and hardly anyone in that room beside the likes of Errikha or Lauren could begin to integrate the history and reality of racism while many hardly open to opening their eyes to it let alone resolve the trauma that ultimately affected them.
Its college. Ppl are supposed to come out smarter but somewhat are coming oit dumber....
Colleges everywhere are dominated (and I mean DOMINATED) by Gramsci style of leftism... the menchevik, low brow and lowkey identity politics, grabbing young minds and turning them to pure hatred mush.
Its an interesting effect. We have a whole generation of adult cry babies and ita really scary if you come to think of it. Those are the professionals of the future. "Diversity" is more important than actual work.
Mientras no mejoremos, en el interior de cada uno, todo va a seguir igual.
Yup, and when we refuse to even acknowledge the Spanish ancestors playing diversity on Univision how can we even begin to recognize the problem.
Yes, something similar happens to me with the word equality, politicians usurp the terms and distort them. Big problem. I think the problem is not the term used, but rather the political concepts that are linked to that term.
Excellent post! Like you, there are few things I hate and one of them is the use of the word diversity and the divisiveness it serves.
Let me give you an example of what I'm so tired of hearing. We hear weekly that the Tech companies in the US are not diverse enough. Because of this drum beating by the media, they are now at the point of even reporting out their level of diversity. Why? It's beyond me. If I have a company, I don't give a damn if I hire a women or a man, what their age is, if they are Asian, Mexican or Russian. If they are tall or short, fat or skinny. As a company I should care about one thing: who can best serve the company in the position I'm trying to fill such that it leads to the company's success.
To show how ridiculous this is, imagine the media pushes their diversity garbage onto professional basketball or football. Are they diverse. Absolutely not. There are an incredible number of African American who are exceptional athletes. For the most part, professional sports draft those with the best skills and size for the various team positions. Then those players are always competing for playing time. What if we apply diversity to professional sports and mandate sports must have 25% African Americans, 25% Asians, 25% White Caucasians and 25% Hispanics. What would that do for the professional sports. It would destroy it. You would loose the level of competitiveness that exists today.
The other issue I have is sometimes the issue of a lack of diversity is simply a pipeline issue (as I recently read in an MIT Technology Review article). For instance, I have an advanced degree in mechanical engineering. Truth is, you are lucking to get women in engineering programs. The school I went to had an 8:1 ratio of men to women. If having more women engineers is desirable (I'd love to see more) then do something about our educational system and expose girls in grade school to the possibilities.
diversity is a hijacked word.
along with disruption, sustainable
and quite a few more.
When I see one used my first thought is.
This conversation is over
Go walk around some more, or maybe explore this from other's perspective.
I have been... For a very long time.