• 0 Posts
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Joined 3 years ago
Cake day: July 9th, 2023
  • Septimaeus@infosec.pubtoFunny@sh.itjust.works•Social Media was a mistake
    1·
    6 days ago

    Agreed, and these might be expressions of kindness, respect, and other genuine virtues.

    For example, prudence can mean wisdom, care warranted and given, or simply an instance of thoughtful behavior.

    Likewise decorum can refer to respectful behavior, honor deserved and given, even a gesture of good faith participation in what others value simply because you recognize it its important to them, part of them, and you want them to know they’re accepted.

    But just speaking directly, I’m not sure OP was demonstrating a lack of any of the above simply by the mildly lewd joke. Even of her grandmother was scandalized (pretty sure she wasn’t) it’d only be indecorous/unthoughful/unseemly/unkind if that was her intent.

    Given that perspective, and noting your authoritative grasp of normal family and interpersonal relationships, I figured you were lamenting that kids these days fail to accommodate the conservative mores of their elders with the level of dedication and precision that we achieved at their age. Forgive my misunderstanding.

  • Septimaeus@infosec.pubtoFunny@sh.itjust.works•Social Media was a mistake
    7·
    6 days ago

    To know whether any act of prudence or decorum is a feather in one’s cap is first to answer to what end and on whose behalf.

    Examples:

    Both are often invoked in the context of potential loss to those who have the most to lose.

    Self preservation is prudent. Prudence avoids loss of face …of social standing …of strategic advantage, and so forth.

    Decorum avoids offending traditional sensibilities …protects what is sacred …retains political capital …maintains institutional legitimacy.

    So both tend to be elevated as lofty virtues by those with power and authority to lose.

    Anyway I used to think similarly. What disabused me of my regard for such ideals was living among those who prudence and decorum never served.

  • Septimaeus@infosec.pubtoScience Memes@mander.xyz•TitleEnglish
    171·
    1 month ago

    Right, I suspect this is voicing a much older consensus about effective storytelling and good art:

    If you want to send a message, use Western Union. — Frank Capra (director of message-heavy films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It’s a Wonderful Life)

    Given his filmography, it’s pretty clear Capra didn’t mean that politics should be avoided when telling a story, just that the story should come first. The idea is that any “message” a writer might convey will naturally be embedded in the stories they tell, whereas writers who attempt to construct a story around a particular message tend to fail at delivering either.