bailey//rockruff⚪
professionalism, dignity, pride, etc are all concepts that are hot garbage
the ruling class can do whatever they want, but all of us beneath them have to appear a certain way that they dictate.
we have no freedom in how we look within this system, and there's always some sort of set of rules we have to loosely or even strictly follow for no reason other than other people want us to look that way
bailey//rockruff⚪
professionalism is the idea that we have to leave behind our emotions and personal quirks to deliver some sort of positive corporate experience for those around us. turning ourselves into the product or some sort of walking advertisement so that other people can use us to buy/sell things and get richer.
it's the idea that we need to be whatever the customer and/or boss wants us to be for no other reason than to please them, even if it's degrading and harmful.
bailey//rockruff⚪
ideas like professionalism are meant to degrade us and strip us of freedoms so that we can't be ourselves, can't be happy, and thus we assume we can't ever really be ourselves because it will harm our ability to survive and be accepted.
so much of our society forces us to be a specific kind of person that will be obedient and samey and not question why any of these norms even exist. because why bother challenging them if it's supposedly easier and Morally Correct to conform?
bailey//rockruff⚪
that's how it all keeps us down, keeps us from expressing ourselves and breaking free of these restrictions; it creates some sort of standard for which to judge and ridicule others
"if you look a certain way you are objectively bad for making people uncomfortable"
but what we call discomfort is really just...being slightly surprised, not knowing how to react to something, being genuinely confused and maybe even a little put off. but that's not harm, that happens every day.
bailey//rockruff⚪
not everything has to cater to us or make us feel comfortable. nobody has to make their appearance cater to anyone else. how someone looks, what they wear and what their body looks like, isn't hurting you.
and there's a lot of things that make us uncomfortable that are BAD to not face, like addressing one's own privilege, addressing the bigotry of our friends and others around us, addressing how flawed our society is
avoiding minor discomfort to oppress others is disgusting
bailey//rockruff⚪
when we see someone in the nude, for instance, we are generally surprised because it's not typical, we weren't expecting it, and we ourselves aren't allowed to be nude in public
so we lash out. but that's abhorrent, selfish behaviour; we're uncomfortable with something we think is strange, unexpected, that makes us feel slightly uncomfortable. but it isn't harming anyone
bailey//rockruff⚪
instead we're harming each other by insisting we all need to hide our bodies; that our bodies are something to be ashamed of and are harmful to display when not specifically asked for.
it's like we're not allowed to enjoy our own bodies and appearances unless someone else specifically allows us to, desires us.
see how fucked up that is? it's like we can't even be ourselves unless someone else approves, for no other reason than their preferences, not our own
bailey//rockruff⚪
the obsession with hygiene is also a bad thing, even if smells make other people uncomfortable.
i'm dead serious - it is a class issue. maintaining proper hygiene is a privilege that those with the energy and resources can achieve.
but folks who are poor/homeless, disabled, etc are barred from establishments for not having the right clothes or for being unhygienic, when those exact places are the only sources for them to get clothes, practise hygiene, eat, have shelter
bailey//rockruff⚪
making nudity illegal and making bad hygiene socially unacceptable in a society where both have paywalls and are inaccessible to so many, is absolutely disgusting. and anyone making fun of hygiene or shunning nudity should perhaps consider why exactly such things make so many people uncomfortable.
is it because those things are harmful to others that come across them? or because we're upset that other people aren't being how we want them to be for our own benefit?
bailey//rockruff⚪
is it because there's truly something wrong with being nude or unhygienic or wearing something others find displeasing, or is it all just a way to bar certain people from participating in society and getting the resources and attention and sympathy they deserve?
phryk✅
@ctrlaltdog This kind of brings me to a point I haven't been able to formulate properly before: Corporate "diversity" isn't really about making things more diverse – it's about making everyone the same.
bailey//rockruff⚪
@phryk excellent point! corporate diversity is basically just a way of saying "hey, everyone is welcome to conform to our vision of society! no matter who you are, we will accept you as a cog in our machine"
bailey//rockruff⚪
@phryk and also a way of insisting that our system is somehow "One Size Fits All" and everyone has an equitable chance to survive and thrive, when that's clearly not the case
because if we don't all have differences, clearly those nonexistent differences can't be what's preventing us from succeeding, but rather it's our own willingness and attitude that is keeping us down
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