Re:I'm Just a Middle-Aged House Dad Addicted to Pot
by anigbrowl on Monday October 08, 2018 @03:10PM
(#18170355)
Mental illness, just like drug use, is no excuse for poor behavior unless someone is subject to actual delusions. I'm not blaming him for having a substance abuse problem or wasting his life, I fel plenty of empathy for those issues. It's the violent aggression toward other people that I take issue with.
Re:I'm Just a Middle-Aged House Dad Addicted to Pot
by xelxebar on Wednesday October 10, 2018 @09:13PM
(#18190338)
Thanks for the reply. I think we're sort of on the same page, at least with respect to opposing Neal's violent behavior
What I take issue with and find counter-productive is comingling the judgement of a person with the judgement of their (circumstantial) behavior.
I'm guessing that your original post was a strong reaction against the violence, but I also feel there's room to accept the person while still rejecting their behavior.
Anyway, cheers. Hope you have a good day.
Actually, you might want to look in the mirror a bit, buddy.
I'd have agreed with your sentiment in the past, but now it reads as pretty self-righteous. Defining a person by some subset of their behavior is a specific, moral judgement not a factual description.
For a lot of people experiencing depression, it's exactly the kind of 'advice' that's likely to ramp up feelings of worthlessness and suicidal thoughts.
Personally, I find it more empathic and relevant to affirm the person and judge the consequences of an action.