I For someone as sophisticated as myself, I can be quite slow on the uptake. I always wondered why, if a certain relative of mine really felt I were as evil as he said I was, he still extended social invitations to me. I always felt quite odd, like the poor cousin in a Victorian … More On Discerning Abuse
I Does the average person go around looking over their shoulder, feeling “unsafe?” When I left Reeducation, the only explanation it would accept was that I “did not feel safe” in it. I played this card in desperation, for Reeducation was saying but, but, but, how did I expect to live without it, and so … More On “Feeling Unsafe”
I took the Bem Sex Role Inventory Test, by Weird Science, and my score was “Androgynous.” I have 90% of all possible masculine characteristics and 70% of all possible feminine ones. “You scored high on both masculinity and femininity. You have a strong personality exhibiting characteristics of both traditional sex roles,” said the test. As … More M/F Test!
Ravensraving’s Post It is always very interesting to see who is supposed to “let go” and “forgive” for what, and who is supposed to remain angry. If you are the white relative of a white murder victim, it may be “cold” not to be ever angry and vengeful. But if you are a Black person … More On Cassandra. On Letting Go
It appears that many people linked to WoC PhD’s post “On Shame” but few linked to her second post, on a certain “I Have a Black Friend” moment – so I will. While I am at it, I will also link to Ridwan’s post about a colleague who has clearly never had any Black friends … More “I Have a Black Friend…”
I do not normally teach foreign language courses but I am teaching one now and it is very, very difficult, primarily because of the materials, which involve: 1. Boring vocabulary themes and conversation topics. 2. No connection whatsoever between vocabulary themes and grammar topics. 3. Thin cultural readings which resemble television commercials. 4. No connection … More In Which I Am Very Frustrated
Whiteman of Reeducation: Z, you must realize you are not a god! Reeducand Z: Gracious. It appears I believe I am a god! The worst of it is, I do not realize that I believe this! I must learn to see that I believe this, and then discard the belief! Savage Z: Whiteman of Reeducation, … More Assertiveness Training
HYPOTHESIS Another difference I have with Reeducation, as well as with popular psychology generally and also much standard advice on how to “strategize” and hedge your bets so as to “succeed,” is that all of these modes of thought involve so much convolution. Simplicity and directness are not allowed, because it is assumed people are … More On Convolution
In my graduate department was a Bright Student who had, furthermore, an excellent situation since she was married to a Nurse. She therefore had no financial worries, roommate worries, or dating worries, and her situation was slated to continue indefinitely: this Nurse, being a Nurse, was in a position to move, when she got an … More On Hiring Women
I Freshman year I inhabited a dormitory filled with graduate students largely in scientific and technical fields. In the first semester I became famous there by helping some of them pass their French reading examinations, and translating some letters from the Niels Bohr archive for another. In the second semester I tackled the first part … More On Fitting In. On Graduating. On Succeeding. On Wives
