Cancel Culture Thoughts

Cancel culture has become a hotly debated topic in recent years, with many arguing that it has gone too far and is a threat to free speech and open dialogue. So what is cancel culture? Well it refers to the practice of publicly shaming and singling out individuals or groups who have expressed controversial or unpopular views. While it can be tempting to want to shut down those whose opinions we disagree with, I believe that cancel culture is ultimately harmful and counterproductive in the scheme of things.

One of the biggest problems with cancel culture is that it often involves silencing people rather than engaging with their ideas. When we label someone as "problematic" and refuse to engage with their arguments, we miss out on the opportunity to learn from them and have a meaningful exchange of ideas. It's important to remember that everyone has the potential to learn and grow, and shutting people down can actually make them more entrenched in their beliefs. I can at times get into fiery arguments online with stranger with different views to my own granted but when there are no insults being thrown I like to meet them on their level and try to get a bigger picture on how they think and why they feel the way about whatever we are both butting heads with and often enough at times I have made new friends and followers from doing that practise rather than remaining hostile. So with everyone up the arse on the be kind movement (which I do agree with) let's all take steps back and open up our minds to understanding a different point of view and someone else's opinions. Be kind to each other or rather be excellent to each other dudes!

Another issue with cancel culture is that it creates an environment of fear and mistrust. When people are afraid to express their opinions for fear of being cancelled, it can lead to a chilling effect on free speech and open discourse. This is especially problematic in academic and intellectual circles, where the free exchange of ideas is essential for progress and innovation. Stop the silencing unless it is harming you in any way and if you are being threatened or feel harmed online via abuse or harassment just please block the people responsible for ruining your moods. 

Furthermore, cancel culture can be incredibly damaging to individuals who are targeted by it. Being publicly shamed and ostracized can have serious psychological and social consequences, and can even lead to job loss or financial ruin. It's important to hold people accountable for their actions, but we need to do so in a way that is proportionate and constructive, rather than punitive and destructive. However, if we are cancelling people for criminal activity I do agree to get the person who has committed any crimes to be blocked and reported and just removed and people to be aware of the sins of that individual. 

In order to move away from cancel culture, we need to focus on creating a culture of empathy and dialogue. This means listening to and engaging with people who hold different opinions from us, even if we find those opinions offensive or disagreeable. It also means being willing to have difficult conversations and being open to changing our own views in the face of new information.

Ultimately, cancel culture is a symptom of a larger societal problem - our inability to engage with difference and disagreement in a constructive way. We cannot erase history and our past as human beings, stop defacing paintings and destroying statues to try and change history, let's all learn, be aware and move on to more important matters in the present. So by cultivating a culture of empathy and dialogue, we can move beyond cancel culture and towards a more inclusive, open, and intellectually rigorous society.