Subject:
|
Re: If you're an AFOL and you know it raise your hand (WAS: Blacksmith Shop)
|
Newsgroups:
|
lugnet.off-topic.debate
|
Date:
|
Wed, 19 Dec 2001 04:03:06 GMT
|
Viewed:
|
6447 times
|
| |
|
|
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Frank Filz writes:
> > Allan Bedford wrote:
> > I'm still missing your point I think. I don't recall labeling myself with
> > anything. I did try to express a description to help folks understand me,
> > but I really didn't define a label to attach to it. What label do you see
> > that I've called myself?
>
> You called yourself "an adult who likes to build with LEGO". That's a
> label. Another label you claim for yourself is "Allan Bedford". I raise
> that one to point out that without labels, conversation would be
> impossible.
You win. Label me a quitter, because I give up on this debate.
> > > The answer to your question is obviously no, but "someone who believes in God"
> > > is just as much a label as "Christian".
> >
> > Ah, I think I might be seeing what you're getting at. Perhaps it's
> > semantics, perhaps it's just different ways of seeing the world. I see
> > short concise words like AFOL, Christian, genius, artist, geek etc. as
> > 'labels'. In a word (or two) they attempt to group together a broad
> > collection of people related by one or more common connections. I see words
> > like "someone who believes in God" or "an adult who builds with LEGO" as
> > simply open-ended descriptions of one aspect of a person or persons. Sorry
> > if I appeared to try and paint myself with a label, that was certainly not
> > my intent.
>
> And those "labels" are useful. The problem is when folks assume the
> entirety about a person from the label or labels which have been applied
> to them.
Which is exactly why I don't want to be lumped in with folks calling
themselves AFOL's. I simply don't have enough in common with them to
warrent using that term.
> Your "an adult who builds with LEGO" really doesn't convey that much
> different from AFOL
I'm not trying to convey who I am with that one sentence. That would be
somewhat ridiculous. I resist labels and descriptions of myself because
they are generally not accurate. You are free to call yourself whatever you
want, please don't let me stop you from labelling yourself.
> What is wrong is when folks try to misuse labels, either by misapplying
> them ("he's gay because he plays with LEGO") or by assuming too much
> about the person from a label ("all Muslims are terrorists"). That isn't
> what I'm trying to do when I call people who have similar interests in
> LEGO as I do AFOLS.
But you may as well, in my opinion. There are people who are really proud
to call themselves AFOL's. And that's well and good for them. No harm
done. But I don't subscribe to many of their views... most especially about
LEGO. You calling me an AFOL is offensive then, isn't it? This really
isn't that big an issue. If someone doesn't want to accept your label, why
fight it?
> All I'm inferring is that you are an adult (which
> you have indicated you are) who enjoys LEGO (ok, maybe that's an
> assumption, but it sounds like you enjoy building with LEGO).
And I saying, yes, your inference is correct. Leave it at that and don't
worry about labelling it anything more.
Sorry to have brought this up, I didn't mean to spark such a response.
Regards,
Allan B.
|
|
Message has 2 Replies:
Message is in Reply To:
111 Messages in This Thread:
(Inline display suppressed due to large size. Click Dots below to view.)
- Entire Thread on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
This Message and its Replies on One Page:
- Nested:
All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:
All | Brief | Compact
|
|
|
|
