Karina Ryan
ChanceyFleetPlease stop using "blindness" as a lazy synonym for "ignorance" in your writing. If there’s one thing about Blind folks: we survive and thrive by being perceptive, observing patterns and responding to cues. Not only is this use of "blindness" rude — it's uninformed. Mistaken. Obtuse. Naive. Counterfactual. There you go — five better ways to say "ignorant" than "Blind"
Barry Goldman@ChanceyFleet oh my god and 'colorblind' is the STOOPITIST term i've ever heard. so much bullshit hiding behind that one
Bonkers@barrygoldman1 @ChanceyFleet how else would you call a deviation in color perception?
@bonkers @ChanceyFleet since the op was about 'lazy term for ignorance', what came to mind was the use of the term for people claiming they don't notice the diff between black folk and white folk in america
@barrygoldman1 @ChanceyFleet hmm, I never heard of colorblindness being used in that sense.
@bonkers @ChanceyFleet the 'criticism' section of this wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_color_blindness
hints at it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_color_blindness
hints at it
Teoh Han Hui
SatanicPanDick@ChanceyFleet As Manfred Mann and Bruce Springsteen clearly explained in the 70s, the only acceptable metaphorical use for blindness is when one finds themself revved up like a deuce by a light they encountered while out running at night
@ChanceyFleet How about inspirational? Just kidding. That drives me nuts.
Rachel keyte@mcourcel @ChanceyFleet You are not wrong. I've heard that term so many times even over the past couple of weeks.
Paul Bartlett
Shane@ChanceyFleet I'm legally blind, and discrimination is still discrimination, whether it's about blindness or anything else. Ableism is real, and we face it our entire lives because some people can't accept that we live differently. But that doesn’t mean we're any less intelligent or informed.
Jeffrey D. Stark@ChanceyFleet LOL; yes but don't shame people who are have deficiencies you don't either
Samy@ChanceyFleet Thanks for the reminder. Ableist phrases have become so deeply rooted in our languages that even without intention we enforce their use by repetition. I will do my best to be more aware.
Colin Macleod@ChanceyFleet That's almost as bad as Americans using "dumb" (i.e. non-speaking) to mean stupid 🤔
Eugenia L@ChanceyFleet Language has an organic way of evolving over time and trying to control it, well, it never succeeds. I get your argument, and it makes sense, but it just can't ever succeed.
quixote@eugenialoli @ChanceyFleet Don't know about can't ever succeed, but I do have a problem with nixing all metaphorical usages because I don't like what they're based on.
E.g. "That's big of him" (unironically). Based on thinking big people are more generous, better.
E.g. "fairness" Based on blond white people having more respect for others. (Hysterical laughter)
We have to be able to use new meanings for old words (when no intention to humiliate) or we'd all have to speak proto-Afro-Asiatic.
@quixote @ChanceyFleet So what if these words are based on non political correct terms? Language evolves organically, as I said. So if in the past these terms made sense (even if they don't), then they come to us through time, without the subtext you're suggesting. Now, it's just a word, without the original subtext. So no harm done, AS LONG AS the subtext isn't there. And for me (Greek with English as a second language), it definitely isn't there.
@eugenialoli @quixote it’s there when blind people hear it. It’s there when our allies hear it. It’s definitely there when someone uses this word to mean unaware in a meeting that I’m part of. People who aren’t on the receiving end of a particular piece of subtext often miss it easily: nice for you but not reflective of everyone’s experience.
Asya@quixote @eugenialoli @ChanceyFleet did you make those up? Big meaning big gesture, not big person. Maybe also look up etymology of “fair” while you’re there.
Florens Verschelde@quixote @asya @eugenialoli @ChanceyFleet Looked up the etymology of “fair” and according to https://www.etymonline.com/word/fair
- the primary meanings was “pleasing to the sight; beautiful”
- then also “morally good” in late Old English
- usage of the word for people with light skin and hair came third (c. 1200, i.e. early Middle English), and was derived from “beautiful”, not the other way round
You may have learned some pseudo-etymologies and taken them as fact; there are a lot of those around.
@quixote @eugenialoli there’s still a lot of discrimination and mythology around blindness so the language does matter in this instance. We have deep seated cultural baggage about blindness and working on the language is one small way of addressing it
@eugenialoli That's untrue. Several other words have had their negative uses retired
GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺@ChanceyFleet I'm not blind. However, I'm deaf. And I've long ago learned one thing: when 'deaf' is used in speech and text, it is usually proverbial and it doesn't mean me. Makes life a lot simpler.
Joseph Lord@ChanceyFleet Does this include when it is specifically about being “blind to [some specific thing]”? What about blindspot? In these types of contexts it doesn’t seem like it is saying anything offensive about blind people.
Is it equally (or even more) offensive to use “see” as a synonym for “understand” as in “I see”?
@JosephLord "See" is used metaphorically without any negative connotations, so it's fine. "Blind spot" i’m on the fence about: i’m most worried about people being described as "blind" when the meaning is unknowing, foolish etc.
Vince Aggrippino 🇺🇸🇲🇾@ChanceyFleet That seems a bit harsh. I doubt it's ever meant disrespectfully and intent matters.
The official (Cambridge) dictionary definition of "blindly" includes "not thinking about or understanding what you are doing". It's perfectly reasonable to expect that definition to extend to the word "blindness".
We're not all perceptive, able to observe patterns, or able to respond effectively to cues. I'm sure that's true of blind people just like it is for all of us. And it's especially true for people like me with a diagnosed personality disorder.
Words are hard. And they become harder when they're taken away to address people's sensitivities. I can't use the words "black" or "master" because they're associated with racial issues. Heck, these days I can't even use the pronouns I used for the first 45 years of my life because they'll offend someone.
@ChanceyFleet But, I'm blind you know. Lol! Sorry, but that's a thing I say sarcastically! I once met a blind guy who kept saying it... and now it makes me chuckle.
Jima 
@ChanceyFleet @annaecook "oblivious!" 😀
LuisLasbelin 🌺@ChanceyFleet in Spanish at least it's pretty understood that "the only truly blind people are the ones who don't want to see" it's different to ignorance, it's a decision to be blind. That's a very different use of it and has a huge cultural weight
Søren Markvard Riis@ChanceyFleet This makes sense. I’ve been trying to change a lot about my personal language over the years but hadn’t even thought of this, though it’s obviously akin to other ableist terms I’ve been trying not to use. Thanks for… We’ll, for telling me/us to do better!
Jeongi
Hayley/Dragon🏳️⚧️@ChanceyFleet @rooster Yes, they are, to add one more … foolish.
*Aya Freya ⋆.˚🦦⋆ - Neptuwunium@ChanceyFleet or just use ignorant. it's a good word and people will understand what you mean when one says "they are ignorant to what the impact of borrowing words and changing the meaning is"