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[The Doctor.]

59. The problem with that

is that it is the standard response to any request for evidence of such nastiness and in this specific case 'misogyny'. Ultimately, there are virtually no, if any, examples of people being so rude on DU without winding up banned. I've asked many times for such examples and the response was always some variation of "It's against the rules to post a link.", to which I replied with requests for PM's.

Nothing.

It's simply a fascinating phenomenon. People who wish to feel persecuted absolutely LOVE OPs like this one because it reinforces their perceived victimhood status without the need for pesky things like evidence of victimization. The perception of oneself as a victim (and no, just because one thinks oneself a victim does not mean they are not one) creates a very interesting psychological dynamic of moral empowerment. I'm pretty well acquainted with this through introspection and the subsequent realization that, having been victimized myself, I stand on solid moral ground while those that have deceived me, betrayed me, and robbed myself and my children are loathsome and horrible creatures. In this case, my 'victim status' improves my self-image.

It is no different for anyone else.

An OP like this one reinforces that sense of moral superiority over and above the DU community. Too many people have tied their ego or identity to their sense of moral superiority. So when a group of such people find themselves on a site which is pretty universally friendly to women, LGBT folks, and minorities.... they feel something is missing. Naturally, if the existential support for one's very identity is missing, one goes looking for it. This is why there must be a sense of ubiquitous (if nebulous) and rampant sexism and anti-female sentiment on DU, regardless of whether it exists or not. Finding it merely requires that statements are deliberately taken out of context or assigned unintended implications. It must be felt that nearly all the hosts of DU, and to an extent even the admins, are at least tolerant of this 'sexism' if not in support of it. How else could the allowance of such nastiness be explained?

Voila. We are now morally superior to the entire site. Feels pretty good, but it's best to turn those feelings into vociferous moral outrage. How better to inform the site, the hosts, and even Skinner, Elad, and EarlG of our moral superiority in such a way that they wouldn't dare question it? I know because when I question the brazen accusations of misogyny from DU, the response isn't to provide the avalanche of instances it would take to support such claims... it's more moral outrage. Moral outrage is the bludgeon with which we protect our moral superiority. To even question such moral superiority over DU is met not with sound reason or solid evidence, but more outrage and deliberate misconstruction. I expect as much over just this post.

Now... I'm sure there are isolated instances of meanness on DU which I have little doubt are dealt with properly by hosts and admins, but those do not change the fact that DU is remarkably friendly to women's causes and equality in general. I'm also sure that there are those who, in the face of something that threatens their ego matrix, will deliberately misconstrue, assign intention that do not exist to, and generally attack this post.

But they will not and can not show that DU is deliberately hostile toward women... because it simply isn't.

Also, I'm used to saying things that people find uncomfortable, so I expect and hope that I will wind up on many more ignore lists. I could ask for no greater validation.

I hope this is something you are willing to discuss rationally.