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.
11
45
438
Conversation
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.
5
7
118
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-
Replying to
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.
10
1
119
Replying to
Agreed strongly up till this point. I have no problem with men speaking for women sometimes but in general it would be appropriate to defer to women. "Men aren't as good at understanding the experience of women" is distinguishable from "men aren't as good as women at math".