many people really are like “i think collective punishment is wrong! unless i don’t like the group, or someone in the group did something to deserve it.”

Getting pissy at people who use wheelchairs when they still have some mobility is like getting pissy at people who wear glasses when they still have some vision

i think a big part of expanding your intellectual curiosity and trying to learn new things about the world is to abandon the shame of not knowing things. don't blame "the US school system" (which US school system????), don't blame your teachers, don't blame society, but embrace the fact that you are going to be learning new things constantly, throughout your life. practice saying "i really need to read about that" or "does anyone know of any good sources to learn about xyz?" or "hold on i gotta go check wikipedia/a world map/the dictionary/the news." every single day, there will be something you don't know already. that something doesn't have to be embarrassing. instead it can be an opportunity to learn something new

shame makes you shut down, and dig in your heels, and refuse to engage. curiosity takes practice, it takes conscious effort, and it takes patience. including patience with yourself

Wonderful advice, but remember that Wikipedia should only be used as a jumping-off point and not your singular source for any information. Check multiple reliable sources to confirm before accepting anything as fact.

i always think about that study where they had adults hold a baby, and when they were told the baby was a girl the adults said she was cute and small, and when they were told the baby was a boy they said he was big and strong. they rated the baby’s ability to do things and tendency towards certain toys differently. they even held the baby differently. (x) or when they rated the baby’s physical ability to do various tasks such as climbing up a slope differently, (x) & when they measured how much parents told their girl children vs. their boy children to be careful and stop being so rowdy (x), & when they measured how often girls and boys were told to be quiet. (x) this was, obviously, all unconscious behavior in the adults. they’re not all like, raving sexists who outspokenly believe that women can’t do stuff or that girls really should just be quieter, be more still than boys. like its not even counting the direct, actual messages, its just literally how every single person in your entire life treats you, and if asked they would probably deny that its even because you’re a girl. how the fuck am i supposed to believe this doesn’t affect a child’s development when its literally constant throughout the entire process 

GoddAMN I am so sick of genders

“Delusions of Gender” by Cordelia Fine goes over all this in lots of detail if you want to be REALLY infuriated (and educated!)