It’s a common thing to say: We cannot tolerate intolerance. But, in reality, we not only can, but a healthy society must tolerate intolerant beliefs. In our quest to be pithy, we are missing an important distinction: We cannot tolerate intolerant actions. I am queer. There are people who, because of their personal beliefs, think…
Category: Other essays
Update Your Language: Transgender Issues
The language concerning transgender issues has evolved in recent years, and you may well be using outdated language. Confusing this issue is that even some transgender people are using outdated or imprecise language, either out of habit or out of a desire to be understood. Language change is rarely instantaneous: Instead, it spreads around over…
Dude, Where’s My Referent?
It’s common these days for people to insist that “dude” (and “buddy” and “guy”) is gender neutral. “I call everyone and everything ‘dude’. It doesn’t matter.” Then comes the reply: “‘Dude’ is a male-coded word. Its use for non-men is part of the masculine default nature of language. It’s still a male-coded word.” Both claims…
A Literal Metaphor
I teach mathematics. In mathematics, we have a thing called “literal equations”. When I first met this term, and indeed for a long time afterward, it confused me. Isn’t every equation literally an equation? What makes some equations more equation-y than other equations? The issue here is that “literal” means something different in mathematical argot…
No AI was harmed in the writing of this
We, educators, have brought the AI crisis on ourselves. For decades, certainly throughout my entire childhood and well before it, we have created and honed a myth that getting good grades is the same as mastery, and that hence the purpose of education is to get high grades. Education, the learning of new things for…
Autism Acceptance Month
April is Autism Acceptance Month. Because our understanding of Autism is rapidly evolving, so too is the language we use. In this article, I’ll discuss current best practices for language and address some of the common misunderstandings around Autism. Autism is a neurological status (“neurotype”) characterized by differences from Neurotypical brains. To qualify for a…
On the “cis” controversy
In my parent’s generation, being left-handed was seen as wrong and actively suppressed. Even as a child, I was often looked at skeptically. I was a “Southpaw”, a term I can now go years without hearing. As a teacher, some of my immigrant students have looked askance at me, but other than that, it’s just…
On the Proper Pronunciation of Non-English Words
Lacroix, Detroit, axolotl, karaoke: All of these are pronounced differently in English than in the languages of their origin. I used to get quite pedantic about “karaoke”. Our pronunciation originates from a place of linguistic indifference (at best) or racism (at worst): We had a tendency to take Japanese words and give them a childish,…
F4660t
Preamble: The song quotes should not be taken as either approval or condemnation of the respective songs or their artists. I have different personal feelings about each, and in most cases, they’re complicated. “He called me f4660t when I went out for cigarettes.” – Andy Prieboy, “That Was the Voice” This week, I heard a…
How Are You?
This TikTok got me thinking: I see a lot said and written about how Neurotypical people usually ask “How are you?” as part of a script, and don’t particularly care for an honest and complete answer. I figured that out myself a long time ago, and have had many conversations with strangers that consist of:…