Read on Twitter
Right after the 2016 election I did a podcast with @Apey @RheaButcher and @amandaseales. Rhea was like “THIS IS VERY VERY BAD PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE.” And I was like “well, yeah, it’s bad but, maybe it won’t be THAT bad you never know”.
And Amanda was like “No, it is very bad. It has always been very bad. None of this is surprising.” And I was like “well, but like THIS bad? Surely, in the grand scheme of things —“ And she was like “this bad. Yes. Worse sometimes, too.”
I think of that conversation often, and how right they were - and how that might have been one of my whitest, cis-est, straight-est moments. Many of us are taught to try to take away other people’s pain by denying the problems that cause it. That’s not soothing! It’s very stupid!
Anyways, that’s why I try to say “fuck, you’re right,” more now - and it’s freeing & has made me smarter. To learn about the world you have to learn about people - to do that people need to trust that you will truly listen to them & respect that they’ve had different experiences.
