To believe someone else *cannot* understand your experience is dangerous. Not only does it put you at fundamental odds with them, but it also prevents you from ever allowing yourself to feel vulnerable with them.
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This is why I distrust groups that claim only they have the authority to understand their experience. It discounts general human's ability for imagination and empathy and is self-isolating and self-reinforcing.
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The example I have authority to speak on is women. I very often see women talking about how men cannot represent them, can't understand their experience, and discount a man as a representative just because of his gender. While I agree similar experiences is correlated with-
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the same gender, to discount someone *because* of their gender is just a blatant stereotyping the other as incapable of cross-group empathy, and it really makes me feel uncomfortable.
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No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one’s existence--that which makes its truth, its meaning--its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream--alone.
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But is that difference significant to the work we do with one another? It seems we are close enough, even if I will never be fully empathized with for all moments.
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Iterate this enough times and you end up in the 'no person can understand any other person' space.
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I think this is mostly correct. Often, these people somehow know exactly what your cohort feels.
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For once, I strongly agree with you. And, you certainly noticed, the reasons invoked to separate the understanding have a strong bias: race, religion, sex, sometimes wealth. This implicit assumption: these criteria matter, the others don't, is pushing an agenda.
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