> Now? I'm more of the opinion "Your affiliation reflects who you really are and if you present that affiliation in public you should bear consequences in public for those choices."
I hope you change your mind back someday. It's not Trump's fault if you choose to be judgmental or uncivil to strangers, that's your own choice, and you should own it. His bad example doesn't give us permission, nor does this political climate, nor do the consequences of the election.
> In fact, I would go further in that it's actually IMPERATIVE for me to zap you
I'm more of the opinion that we should all treat each other with more respect, give each other the benefit of the doubt when we don't know, and support each other since we all are, in fact, on the same team.
Trump's behavior is all the more reason to bring as much reason and civility and understanding as we can to our lives and interactions with others.
> so that the people around don't assume that I condone what you represent.
What exactly would happen if someone around you assumed something about you that was wrong?
There's a double irony in what you said. You just encouraged making bad assumptions about people. And this endorses precisely the one action that makes it more likely that you will have to face the situation you're afraid of. If everybody is prejudicial, then we all get meaner and we all lose. If instead we assume that an individual does not represent the exact interests of one of the many organizations they're associated with, then we can avoid unnecessary fights, and maybe even have a meaningful conversation and learn from each other.
With you on this one. I have had a similar experience with a semi-famous scientist that I used to looked up to and admired. They made some completely incorrect personal assumptions about me and I was left feeling upset and depressed about it. It's just not something you expect.
It was like finding out one of your friends only kept you around to make jokes about you behind your back.
Unfortunately they have now retrospectively tarnished everything I used to look up to them about. It still leaves me feeling bitter but I deal with that by recognising their contributions to science without recognising them as a person.
Like you, I think we all need to do better maintaining the civility in 'civilisation'. It wasn't easy to get where we are and it won't be easy to get where we are going.
I hope you change your mind back someday. It's not Trump's fault if you choose to be judgmental or uncivil to strangers, that's your own choice, and you should own it. His bad example doesn't give us permission, nor does this political climate, nor do the consequences of the election.
> In fact, I would go further in that it's actually IMPERATIVE for me to zap you
I'm more of the opinion that we should all treat each other with more respect, give each other the benefit of the doubt when we don't know, and support each other since we all are, in fact, on the same team.
Trump's behavior is all the more reason to bring as much reason and civility and understanding as we can to our lives and interactions with others.
> so that the people around don't assume that I condone what you represent.
What exactly would happen if someone around you assumed something about you that was wrong?
There's a double irony in what you said. You just encouraged making bad assumptions about people. And this endorses precisely the one action that makes it more likely that you will have to face the situation you're afraid of. If everybody is prejudicial, then we all get meaner and we all lose. If instead we assume that an individual does not represent the exact interests of one of the many organizations they're associated with, then we can avoid unnecessary fights, and maybe even have a meaningful conversation and learn from each other.