Jacob Barnett and the Slate article controversy

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christopherV said:
dehumanization occurs when an individual views another person in negative ways,

How is describing someone as "Rain Man" - a person people associate with being brilliant at certain things, hence you see someone win a lot at cards and call them Rain Man - "negative"?

How are we describing someone as being "non-human"?

Your whole premise is ridiculous. You are taking a completely benign situation and deliberately trying to inflame it into becoming something it is not, by using examples that don't match with the reality of the situation.
 
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Calrid said:
I understand you might find the term offensive, and that's fine, I just don't understand why?

Alright I will answer that, I find the term so offensive because I see it as another representation of "idiot savant" and it is defiantly not a term that I would ever use to represent anything positive about another individual.

and it's not that i might find the term offensive i definitely find the term offensive.
 
christopherV said:
Alright I will answer that, I find the term so offensive because I see it as another representation of "idiot savant" and it is defiantly not a term that I would ever use to represent anything positive about another individual.

and it's not that i might find the term offensive i definitely find the term offensive.

Who used the term idiot savant except you?

Was Kim Peek trying to suggest he was an idiot savant by using that term? Or was he trying to suggest he was the real deal?

Great I still don't understand why but you go with that, it seems we are at an impasse.

If its any consolation I'd find the term idiot savant offensive, and would never use it. It's so clearly something that was invented when we didn't know any better. Probably why few people use it now.
 
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Look I don't at this point think that you are intentionally trying to be offensive. I think you really just don't get it. it was offensive to me and I don't think i can explain it any further or in any manner in which you will understand what it's like to be me.
 
christopherV said:
Look I don't at this point think that you are intentionally trying to be offensive. I think you really just don't get it. it was offensive to me and I don't think i can explain it any further or in any manner in which you will understand what it's like to be me.

Fair enough then I apologise for offending you, it was not my intent.

I don't have to get it to know when someone is upset.
 
Calrid said:
Fair enough then I apologise for offending you, it was not my intent.

I don't have to get it to know when someone is upset.

thank you and I am sure that i made some errors as well and for those i apologize, I might not even see them as I am very bad at interpersonal communication and prone to behaviors which fall outside of the social norm. particularly analogies, i could not however think of an analytical way in which to express my thoughts on the matter.
 
christopherV said:
thank you and I am sure that i made some errors as well and for those i apologize, I might not even see them as I am very bad at interpersonal communication and prone to behaviors which fall outside of the social norm. particularly analogies, i could not however think of an analytical way in which to express my thoughts on the matter.

I think the only error you made is in being human. Something for which it is hard to apologise for. We all have our sensibilities. It's a waste of time getting hung up on them.

Forget about it. :smile:
 
Speaking of Jacob Barnett, he now lives in the same small city where I live. Woohoo! :biggrin: