House of Eratosthenes

Chris Hernandez on the changing definition of the word in the title, and how it’s affected by all this noise about so-called “microaggressions” and “trigger warnings.” He starts off with several paragraphs of anecdotal example to define what his own understanding has been. Since this includes experience as a cop and a U.S. Marine, these are not stories for timid readers. Teen suicide, people burning to death in helicopter crashes, toddlers getting decapitated in car accidents, et al.

Then he begins to inspect what has been changing lately (H/T: Instapundit).

I suppose I’ve always defined “trauma” the traditional way: a terrible experience, usually involving significant loss or mortal danger, which left a lasting scar. However, I’ve recently discovered my definition of trauma is wrong. Trauma now seems to be pretty much anything that bothers anyone, in any way, ever. And the worst “trauma” seems to come not from horrible brushes with death like I described above; instead, they’re the result of racism and discrimination.

Over the last year I’ve heard references to “Microagressions” and “Trigger Warnings”. Trigger Warnings tell trauma victims that certain material may “contain disturbing themes that may trigger traumatic memories for sufferers”; it’s a way for them to continue avoiding what bothers them, rather than facing it (and the memories that get triggered often seem to be about discrimination, rather than mortal danger). Microaggressions are minor, seemingly innocuous statements that are actually stereotype-reinforcing trauma, even if the person making the statement meant nothing negative.

Finally, he goes in for the kill:

I’ve reviewed these reports of “trauma”, and have reached a conclusion about them. I’m going to make a brief statement summarizing my conclusion. While I mean this in the nicest way possible, I don’t want victims of Microaggressions or supporters of Trigger Warnings to doubt my sincerity.

Fuck your trauma.

Yes, fuck your trauma. My sympathy for your suffering, whether that suffering was real or imaginary, ended when you demanded I change my life to avoid bringing up your bad memories. You don’t seem to have figured this out, but there is no “I must never be reminded of a negative experience” expectation in any culture anywhere on earth.
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If your psyche is so fragile you fall apart when someone inadvertently reminds you of “trauma”, especially if that trauma consisted of you overreacting to a self-interpreted racial slur, you need therapy. You belong on a psychiatrist’s couch, not in college dictating what the rest of society can’t do, say or think. Get your own head right before you start trying to run other people’s lives. If you expect everyone around you to cater to your neurosis, forever, you’re what I’d call a “failure at life”. And you’re doomed to perpetual disappointment.
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If your past bothers you that much, get help. I honestly hope you come to terms with it. I hope you manage to move forward. I won’t say anything meant to dredge up bad memories, and don’t think anyone should intentionally try to harm your feelings.

But nobody, nobody, should censor themselves to protect you from your pathological, and pathologically stupid, sensitivities.

People have been getting traumatized, according to both definitions, for thousands of years now. How come the definition is morphing lately? It’s only obvious that the liberals are bringing it about, partly because we’ve been watching them do it if we’ve been paying attention; if we haven’t been paying attention, we can simply notice that all of the ingredients are there. A cultural change that brings with it a lot more grievance-mongering and complaining, and very little else. The melding of the well-intentioned, who make poor decisions, with those who seek to destroy society as it currently exists and are capable of hardening and executing brilliantly-conceived strategy. Useful idiots sending their own usefulness into an arc of decline. “Education,” formal as it may be, leaving those who are “educated” with less capability to get anything done in life, rather than more.

You watch it awhile and you begin to see where Sen. Joseph McCarthy got off with his famous observation: “If he were merely stupid, the laws of probability dictate that part of his decisions would serve this country’s interest.” You ask yourself: If I wanted to ensure the next generation did absolutely nothing productive, what is the difference between how I would seek to affect them, and what I’m seeing happening?

And then you talk to some of those in favor of the transformation, and you realize these aren’t people who want to destroy anything at all. They truly do care about the feelings of kids who are being (modern-version) “traumatized.” They just don’t seem to understand how people find maturity before doing productive things in adulthood, and because of this lack of understanding they make awful, terrible decisions. Then, you realize you’re watching the ultimate nightmare juxtaposition: The poorly-intentioned leading the well-intentioned, but poor decision makers, around by their dumb noses. And, you realize our society is attacked from within on yet one more front. You realize what you’re seeing is liberalism, which destroys everything it touches. Everything.

Obviously the only recourse for those suffering from Trauma lite ESPECIALLY “childhood”, based on ones ability to make-stuff-up), and lack of “recognition” from EVERYONE ELSE, is to jump in front of someone else’s handy passing truck.
Don’t worry, well ALL “Be sorry when you’re gone”.
- CaptDMO | 01/04/2015 @ 12:35
This is why I predict something like Promise Keepers 2.0 will emerge in short order. A group that says, basically, that the one requirement for joining is: Don’t be a pussy. We believe that effort is worthwhile, that pain is fleeting (and builds character), and above all, that the kind of man modern culture in general, and the educational system in particular, wants you to be, is contemptible.

Any organization with that motto alone — “quit being pussies” — would immediately gain 500,000 members.
- Severian | 01/04/2015 @ 12:58
Life is not fair. It was not designed to be fair, but to test. When the she, he, it hits the rotary air impeller I won’t last long. Don’t bother me a bit if I can help protect some of the innocent while biting the dust.

The enemy is greatly outnumbered. Part of their tactics are to break us up into as many non supporting groups as possible. The violent thugs at Ferguson mostly harmed the local community of law abiding black people. Why it is so important to the media to get us to believe that all blacks want to pillage and burn in the name of civil rights is a mystery to me but seems to be awful important to them. Hard working citizens are my kinda people. Could care less about race and class, but could not possibly care very much less.
- Theo | 01/05/2015 @ 02:12
This took root early in education, as CS Lewis observed – the exceptional kept behind artificially so as not to make the dullards feel dull. Lewis noted rather drily that the great mass didn’t care about the brainiacs: “They are stronger than him, and can punch his head and kick his stern” or words to that effect. And quite true; they have what they really value in any case. But what puts me in a mind for Lewis (more than usual, anyway) is, in particular, the word “trauma,” which Lewis specifically pointed out in “Screwtape Proposes a Toast,” when Screwtape points out that headmasters and teachers were stopping the ecucational process to make sure their underachievers didn’t “get a trauma” by being left behind. “Beelzebub, what a useful word!” he says in passing.

Fifty years ahead of your time again, Mr. Lewis. It’s a pity that half the problem is people not reading anymore.
- nightfly | 01/05/2015 @ 08:23

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Sunday, January 4th, 2015