Of course oppression is real. Being ugly is real, being black, being bullied, being otherwise disadvantaged, are all things that have happened to real people. But people have managed to overcome those things before. It's not easy, and failure is possible, but it can be done. Just not by sitting in a sub all day listening to an echo chamber bitch about its collective misfortunes. I haven't kept up with all the incel content that closely but I believe removing yourself from that community is the first step to actual improvement.
Systemic change IS necessary. That subreddit is not systemic change. That subreddit does not promote systemic change. That subreddit encourages users to feel lost and powerless, and to wallow in their situation. Sadly changing yourself is much easier and more realistic than changing society, and if you really, TRULY want things to get better, becoming a more perfect version of yourself is a process that is inexorable if you remain focused and determined. Eventually, someone somewhere will see the light through no matter how much grime. Changing the opinion of one special person that loves you very much is practical. Changing the opinion of everyone you meet on the street, in class, in the pub...I don't want to say it's impossible because I don't believe it is, but I do think it's a trap that leads to depressive thoughts very VERY quickly. At this point I'm talking specifically about incel issues, I do think being a poc is different as the hatred is usually far more focused
That's not at all what this person is saying. Leemarov explicitly said that many people do fail. The main point is that they should still at least try, rather than giving in and falling to self-loathing and bitterness. Systemic change can't occur if the oppressed group doesn't try to effect it.
This isn't "pulling oneself up by the bootstraps," though I understand how it might be construed that way. Rather, it's "not laying down and being sad because things aren't magically changing."
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u/Leemarov Nov 08 '17
Of course oppression is real. Being ugly is real, being black, being bullied, being otherwise disadvantaged, are all things that have happened to real people. But people have managed to overcome those things before. It's not easy, and failure is possible, but it can be done. Just not by sitting in a sub all day listening to an echo chamber bitch about its collective misfortunes. I haven't kept up with all the incel content that closely but I believe removing yourself from that community is the first step to actual improvement.