Gains and trade-ups

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Consider two broad classes of favourable life events:

The difference is that a gain can be given up, but a trade-up might not allow a trade-down. A forced gain is only somewhat creepy but a forced trade-up is very creepy. Even a voluntary trade-up is borderline creepy, it's non-reversible and the choice might not be fully informed. The social norm we are heading toward is that consent can be withdrawn at any time, and any trade-up violates that.

Applications:


See also: James Watson. While describing Rosalind Franklin, possibly the discoverer of the structure of DNA, certainly the person who's crystallography skill made it possible: "In this new edition, I notice that Ray [Gosling - her student] has rather a good line in response to my comments about her appearance. He notes that I never saw her dressed up to go out in the evening, and that she had an elegance that I probably never saw." Watson, and I say this with perfect sincerity, go eat your own shit. What utter inability to perceive the greatness of one of our greatest scientists, just because it doesn't fit your gendered schema.




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