I get the pleasure of lots of interesting training courses that are mandatory such as H&S, Fire Awareness etc. There are also anti-bullying, inclusion and other behavioural trainings. I am pro-inclusive diversity and anti-bullying but it was interesting to get the key messages of those two courses when I did them one after the other.

We will not tolerate sexism in thought or action
We will not tolerate racism in thought or action
We will not tolerate homophobia in thought or action

We will embrace people with views other than ours
We will accept that not all people have the same basis for their beliefs
We will make allowances for people whose views we may not agree with

So if I have to work with a racist, sexist homophobe to embrace their different view whilst accepting they are not the same as mine and make allowances for this?

A serious subject but this is not a serious question to the forum. I just was tempted to ask a question like that at the end. I didn’t though obviously felt bullied by the potential backlash

So if I have to work with a racist, sexist homophobe to embrace their different view whilst accepting they are not the same as mine and make allowances for this

There are certain things that society has deemed to be wrong. Racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia etc. You don’t have to the tolerant of intolerance, to be tolerant.

That said, all of the above were seen as legitimate viewpoints in the past. So really, are they wrong, or just societal norms? Most of them are based on natural human fear of the different, or unknown, do we have to at least tolerate people’s opinions if they don’t use them to prejudice people?

Depends if the views are actually illegal though.

Serious answer to your non-serious question. Sorry.

How do you know what someone is thinking? Best to sack everyone just to be safe. Or employ everyone as you might be seen as lacking tolerance if you don’t. Argh! Make it all stop

I think going round embracing people, with differing or equivalent views, would upset some edit – most (I’ve met you).

So if I have to work with a racist, sexist homophobe to embrace their different view whilst accepting they are not the same as mine and make allowances for this

How do you know what someone is thinking?

It’s not their views or thoughts that are the issue, it’s their actions: what they say and do. You may suspect someone is racist deep down, or I dunno, because of their religion homophobic or whatever. That’s none of your business. If they express those things in word or action, then yes it is your business.

Depends if the views are actually illegal though.

It is a tricky area especially where you have context and intent to consider hence the training courses. Some things are clear cut, others more grey, especially around bullying.

I had never given much thought to people who are feeling bullied actually joining in and encouraging the bullying as it made them feel included. The example given was a short person may feel very self conscious about it while the rest of the team is not but make occasional ‘jokey’ reference to it. The short person starts to make jokes about their own height to so they feel they fit in. Other people then think it is okay and it spirals up until the short person raises it as an issue and the rest of the team are puzzled as they didn’t know there was any problem. Kind of a weird thought process but one to watch out for in the team dynamics.

I think going round embracing people, with differing or equivalent views, would upset some edit – most (I’ve met you).

🙂

I’m definitely not tolerate of someone who thinks the plural of ‘training’ is ‘trainings’ 😉

For some reason I came across a column by Suzanne Moore today; she was a Guardian columnist who left last month after what she describes as bullying. I’m not a particular fan, but her description of how she wanted to write a column about how being a woman is sacrosanct, not a choice*, and how that led to 338(?) staff writing an open letter of complaint about her, and her eventually choosing to leave rather than put up with it, seems apt in this. The Guardian in particular is so right on about inclusion, equal rights, tolerance, but it’s complete horsesh*t – if you don’t subscribe to our view, there’s no room for you.

*not saying I support or disagree with this view.

It’s not their views or thoughts that are the issue, it’s their actions: what they say and do

I wasn’t being remotely serious in my post, but this bit is badly worded if we want to get serious!

We will not tolerate sexism in thought or action
We will not tolerate racism in thought or action
We will not tolerate homophobia in thought or action

And if there is one thing I can’t tolerate it’s badly worded err stuff. It would be much better as we will not tolerate sexism, racism etc. If not it looks a bit “ooh Jeff looks like he’s thinking racist stuff again. He’s got that look again”

I’m definitely not tolerate of someone who thinks the plural of ‘training’ is ‘trainings’ 😉

It is a rule of the internet that a criticism of grammatical infelicity invariably contains one or more grammatical errors itself. In the context of this thread that’s potential bullying and I should have kept it to myself.

I’m definitely not tolerate of someone who thinks the plural of ‘training’ is ‘trainings’

The most authoritative American English dictionary, Merriam-Webster, agrees that the plural of training is “trainings”. British dictionaries, such as the Oxford Dictionary, however, disagree that it can function as a count noun. For arbiters of British English, there is still no plural of training.

As an Englishman I was at a loss for words so resorted to an Americanism. I most humbly apologise.
🙂

Was there anti-anti-cyclist training?

. The example given was a short person may feel very self conscious about it while the rest of the team is not but make occasional ‘jokey’ reference to it. The short person starts to make jokes about their own height to so they feel they fit in. Other people then think it is okay and it spirals up until the short person raises it as an issue and the rest of the team are puzzled as they didn’t know there was any problem. Kind of a weird thought process but one to watch out for in the team dynamics.

That’s a problematic example IMO. If shorty is the butt of most of the teams mockery, then it has become bullying (although not necessarily intentional). However if it is a team where everyone takes the piss out of everyone else, then its not bullying, although possibly a difficult situation to manage without hurting team morale.

not saying I support or disagree with this view

In Twitter world on the particular issue referred to, having a view is hate, not having a view and not having expressed a view is hate. Having the wrong view is definitely hate, even if it’s based in facts not opinion.

It’s unbelievable the amount of bullying and pile on on twitter and the cancel culture involved. It’s a very toxic platform. It spills out into the real world though and organisations and individuals side with whatever isn’t going to get them a load of abuse.

All a load of fashionable shite. The amount of money that government departments, big corporations are lavishing on this utter nonsense through a constant fire hose of money is stunning. Box ticking nonsense of the highest order.

The atmosphere and tone of businesses and workplaces is set by the attitudes of management, middle management and then onto the shop-floor. Hiring loads of “diversity” managers and various other rudderless **** is just a load of woke crap.

I wont tolerate absurdism in my thoughts, I put it across a mental picture of a knee*, pull down a mental picture of trousers** and spank it.

*which I can’t see
**which I can’t see but are blue or gold

To my own shame I find myself getting a bit tired of being lectured on tolerance at work and by my teenage daughter. I now just rely on Wheaton’s Law to govern my own behaviour and that of others.

It’s unbelievable the amount of bullying and pile on on twitter and the cancel culture involved.

That behaviour is mirrored on here.

That behaviour is mirrored on here.

Single speeding is a step too far; they deserve everything which is thrown at them.

Single speeding is a step too far; they deserve everything which is thrown at them.

Sorry

Was there anti-anti-cyclist training?

“I get inadvertent persecution most days. A lot of it accidental, unintentional, or ” a bit of fun”, just ignorance and not understanding how it might affect me.

Sometimes it becomes direct abuse and intimidation. I’ve had cans thrown at me from passing cars. I’ve been assaulted, and had the guy who did it cautioned. All because of the way I look and how I choose to live my life.”

That did not go down well in a Civil Service inclusivity course, I can tell you. After we’d established that it was connected to my cycling and not a gender identity issue.