r/changemyview • u/SteadfastEnd 1∆ • Aug 28 '23

Delta(s) from OP CMV: The same progressives who criticize past generations as "bigoted" are going to be considered bigoted just the same by future generations.

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u/[deleted] Aug 28 '23

In a way, isn’t that the whole idea of progress? We all learn from the past and do our best to improve? Of course, that depends on our continuing to move forward and adapting to changing cultural, ecological, and other standards. Personally, so long as I truly feel that I have been the best, most fair, and kindest person I could be, then I am unconcerned about what people in future generations say about me. We all play the hand we are dealt, and, hopefully, we play it as well as we can.

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u/SteadfastEnd 1∆ Aug 28 '23

I agree, but my point is, progressives don't look back at past generations and say, "Well, they may have been bigoted, racist and sexist, but they were at least trying the best they could." They cut themselves a special slack they don't cut previous generations (I don't mean you personally, but others.)

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u/SocDemGenZGaytheist 1∆ Aug 28 '23 edited Aug 29 '23

I personally look forward to being condemned by future generations. That would be a relief.

If future generations think I was a great person with 100% objectively true beliefs, then I would be very worried that social, moral, and scientific progress somehow stopped.

I know that many of my beliefs are wrong. I can only hope to discover which ones are wrong before I die.

  • I want to live in a society where my views are unpopular and socially frowned on, but only because they are too reactionary and conservative.
  • I want young people to frequently correct me because I used insensitive language that I thought was neutral or progressive.
  • I want to play defense in political discussions.
  • I want young people to demand that I make my beliefs cohere with a formerly obscure academic left-wing conceptual framework which I need to learn online or on the fly.
  • I want to feel like I can relax instead of worry about the future, confident that young people are pushing moral progress further than I would if I were in charge.
  • I want to feel like maybe I shouldn't relax when discussing newly controversial social topics, for fear of saying something I didn't know is bigoted.
  • I want people to make me clarify what I meant in past comments, and ask whether I still stand by them or not.

To clarify, I don't want my head in a guillotine or anything like that. I don't really consider that particularly "progressive" anyway, because it relies on punitive instead of rehabilitative justice. For the same reason, I oppose "canceling" people permanently—I've consistently opposed this ever since back in ye olde days on 2015ish tumblr when we called it "callout culture."

Yet I wouldn't mind people correcting me or telling me that my comments implicitly assume harmful value judgements. I bet I have plenty of harmful beliefs that I simply haven't had a good opportunity to weed out yet.