This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Do you have any intuition as to why there are so my psychotic cyclists? It seems to select for aggressive narcissists, despite the fact that their phenotype is more of a skinny soy boy or scenester. It’s obviously not all of them, but it could easily be 50% of the cyclists on the road. Does a bicycle imbue some sort of power fantasy where otherwise meek people can easily flee if they run into the wrong type of person?
To start, note that there are subcultures in cycling. I think a lot of the negative traits you're thinking of are largely confined to roadies, which I don't consider myself a part of.
In an urban environment, it's hard to be a cyclist and not look down on everyone else. Cars are crawling along streets, burning gallons of gas to shift 4,000 pounds of steel and 200 pounds of human, moving at a speed similar to you. Meanwhile, pedestrians are moving even more slowly, having trouble carrying any weight at all. Quite simply: There's a best way to get around, and you're it.
Then, add the antagonistic nature of so many interactions. You have to be prepared to die for no reason at all. Everyone hates you, and wants to steal your mode of transportation the moment you come to a stop. When I am on the road, especially by myself, my nerves are shredded after being aggressively fucked with.
I think the people who are on the road a lot get into this mode. You have to be closer to the middle of the lane to avoid being driven into the curb, pedal away from danger, trust your instincts even if they violate traffic laws... etc.
Perhaps a much more sympathetic take than you were looking for.
To add more on the negative side, people who are on the road regularly are typically affluent. Bikes are expensive, you need to have the free time to use the equipment, and the mechanical know-how to maintain a (abiet simple) machine. It all circles around arrogance and elitism.
That shit’s all true, but the middle schoolers roaming my neighborhood on their bikes don’t seem to cause problems because they get the hell out of the way when there’s cars, ride on the shoulder if possible, etc.
Cyclists should believe the road is for cars, and they might behave as well as thirteen year olds.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
If you're not psychotic when you start cycling in Manhattan, it'll make you that way.
More options
Context Copy link
I live in a neighborhood where there are still young teenagers allowed to go wherever their bikes will take them; these are largely fine, and in neighborhoods where people are poor enough to ride bikes the cyclists seem fine too(the other denizens often aren’t). It’s the ideologues who make it suck.
Is your neighborhood in urban or suburban area. I should have clarified that I'm talking urban locations, even small cities.
More or less suburbia.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link