Yes, being stinky is antisocial behavior, but what I’m saying is that there is a tension between prosocial and antisocial behavior in communists: it is not always good to be prosocial, and it is not always bad to be antisocial: these terms as I use them only describe adherence to social norms, nothing else. To be a good communist you must simultaneously be the most prosocial and antisocial you can possibly be: Prosocial, because you must be animated by a profound love for humanity and a desire to uplift all the people around you, and because you must appeal to and mobilize millions if not billions of average people for your movement to succeed; and antisocial, because you must recognize all the harmful norms of society imposed by the ruling class and internalized by the same people you’re trying to mobilize, and fight to overthrow those norms. To be fully prosocial alone is to accept the status quo. To be fully antisocial alone is to show a total disregard for the people around you. To be fully prosocial and fully antisocial at the same time is to be a revolutionary. This is my point.
Bringing this back to personal hygiene: What I mean to say is that if you go around with stinky pits in a culture where this is taboo, then it does not matter if you can eloquently describe that taboo’s origins in the ideology of the ruling class, or how hypocritical society is when other smells that you absolutely cannot stand are seen as perfectly normal, if not the epitome of fragrance. Your words do not matter if you stink, because most people don’t want to hang out with people who stink. Most people won’t hear you out, and whatever revolutionary movement you claim to represent will just become “those stinky weirdos”, and it will fizzle out and die. The theory of connotations of smells being socialized is correct, but the praxis of disregarding those connotations entirely, is incorrect. This is the real reason why it’s bad to be a stinky communist.
This is ultimately largely the same point as you’re making, but I think the change of framing is important.
A lot of what you’ve said just reminds me of how behavior in online spaces like this just don’t really translate well into the real. I’ve seen a lot of people here advocate some pretty extremely antisocial behavior that may be some justifiable in a way, but just doesn’t work out when you’re out in the world. It can be frustrating because it’s often a “well you’re not completely wrong, but…” situation.
Anyways sorry, I’m not being super eloquent today as I’m like 4 beers deep on a day off I didn’t intend to take
Yes, being stinky is antisocial behavior, but what I’m saying is that there is a tension between prosocial and antisocial behavior in communists: it is not always good to be prosocial, and it is not always bad to be antisocial: these terms as I use them only describe adherence to social norms, nothing else. To be a good communist you must simultaneously be the most prosocial and antisocial you can possibly be: Prosocial, because you must be animated by a profound love for humanity and a desire to uplift all the people around you, and because you must appeal to and mobilize millions if not billions of average people for your movement to succeed; and antisocial, because you must recognize all the harmful norms of society imposed by the ruling class and internalized by the same people you’re trying to mobilize, and fight to overthrow those norms. To be fully prosocial alone is to accept the status quo. To be fully antisocial alone is to show a total disregard for the people around you. To be fully prosocial and fully antisocial at the same time is to be a revolutionary. This is my point.
Bringing this back to personal hygiene: What I mean to say is that if you go around with stinky pits in a culture where this is taboo, then it does not matter if you can eloquently describe that taboo’s origins in the ideology of the ruling class, or how hypocritical society is when other smells that you absolutely cannot stand are seen as perfectly normal, if not the epitome of fragrance. Your words do not matter if you stink, because most people don’t want to hang out with people who stink. Most people won’t hear you out, and whatever revolutionary movement you claim to represent will just become “those stinky weirdos”, and it will fizzle out and die. The theory of connotations of smells being socialized is correct, but the praxis of disregarding those connotations entirely, is incorrect. This is the real reason why it’s bad to be a stinky communist.
This is ultimately largely the same point as you’re making, but I think the change of framing is important.
A lot of what you’ve said just reminds me of how behavior in online spaces like this just don’t really translate well into the real. I’ve seen a lot of people here advocate some pretty extremely antisocial behavior that may be some justifiable in a way, but just doesn’t work out when you’re out in the world. It can be frustrating because it’s often a “well you’re not completely wrong, but…” situation.
Anyways sorry, I’m not being super eloquent today as I’m like 4 beers deep on a day off I didn’t intend to take