I don't think we should ever completely slam the door on people. Understanding is important, even when they do something terrible. Flippant remarks might feel satisfying, but they are ultimately unhelpful.
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Replying to @ChristieSmythe
That's not what she said, she literally just takes it for granted that because she's decided he's the "bright, exceptional" kind of person, then any of his moral failures are failures of society, and the greater said failure, the greater society's failure Which is fucking insane
2 replies 3 retweets 170 likes -
Replying to @arthur_affect @ChristieSmythe
Like, specifically because he's "intelligent" and "exceptional", this means it can't possibly be his own moral failing that he kidnapped and murdered a girl It's society's fault for not giving him sufficient scope to express his genius and keep him from getting bored
3 replies 2 retweets 126 likes -
Replying to @arthur_affect @ChristieSmythe
This is a diseased point of view, especially because the definition of "intelligent" and "exceptional" is so nebulous -- it's something people just decide to label someone as because they like the guy But of course, you probably know that, or will soon
1 reply 2 retweets 115 likes -
Replying to @arthur_affect @ChristieSmythe
Note that this sort of thing isn't said about people with like, kleptomania or people of colour in general. There's a disturbing trend to try and excuse murderers and serial killers, when they're reasonably articulate passably attractive white men.
2 replies 0 retweets 93 likes -
Replying to @Zendervai @ChristieSmythe
Lol that's what gets me about this, Ayn Rand didn't *generally* sympathize with criminals or think that people all deserve second chances Quite the opposite, she was wholeheartedly in favor of crumpling up huge swathes of the population and throwing them away
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She is very open about the pathological mindset here -- that she likes evil people as long as they're *smart* and *special*, and if they are smart and special then the more evil they are the more it just adds to their smartness and specialness
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Even as basic concepts like "Don't murder children" are less important to her than not being *boring* She has nothing but contempt for *boring* people, to be ordinary and dull and decent is to her infinitely worse than being "intelligent", "exceptional" and a serial killer
2 replies 2 retweets 120 likes -
This is, of course, not an uncommon view -- A Clockwork Orange flirted with this point of view (and Burgess disowned the film adaptation because he felt it wholeheartedly embraced it) The movie Natural Born Killers takes it as far as it can go Ugly, nasty, regrettable shit
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Rand uses the same logic that some judges use to excuse white men for their terrible acts. "he was smart and had potential"
3 replies 0 retweets 23 likes
It's just what Kate Manne calls "himpathy" You've decided you like the guy so you tortutously edit everything about him to make him the good guy in your narrative, no matter how absurdly convoluted and irrational that narrative clearly is
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Replying to @arthur_affect @veronicacris and
And it's very much based on what kind of person they are, this mindless irrational animal decision that someone "looks like" or "acts like" a hero based on symmetrical facial features or whatever A benefit of the doubt that typically accrues to white men
1 reply 4 retweets 38 likes -
Replying to @arthur_affect @veronicacris and
That's what's so galling about Rand calling her shtick "Objectivism" when it's the most obviously subjective bullshit Like her play Ideal about how it's rational to lay down your life for a movie star you think is hot
2 replies 3 retweets 47 likes - Show replies
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