To think you don’t always need to cut your nose off to spite your face?

Why do you assume firmly held principles are about “look at me” rather than something that individual holds as sincerely important.

I can only assume that your have a total lack of principles which is why you assume anybody with them is merely virtue signalling?

I think some people want to make it look like they are doing just that.

Like they must be morally superior because they are prepared to inconvenience themselves or even cause themselves to be unwell in the name of their high and unyielding personal standards.

So it's almost like she would be more likely to refuse the KitKat if she was in a supposed hypo than if she was just offered it randomly.

I admire people like this and see no issue with either. If your abandon your values at the slightest inconvenience to yourself they aren’t true values.

Now of course there are SOME exemptions but I don’t see why yours would be.

Knowing how teenagers are drawn to anything forbidden shes probably managed to create several future HP superfans out of her kids who will start buying merch and streaming HBO the moment they get access to their own money, which seems a bit silly.

She would be more likely to get them to follow her opinions if she sat them down and explained them and said "this is why I wont go to universal but if you and your dad want to go its up to you." Rather than making it forbidden fruit.

“Middle age has been defined as what happens when a person's broad mind and narrow waist change places.”

I agree with you OP.

Imagine standing at your parent's grave knowing they would still be alive if they'd just eaten a kit kat. She could have given the equivalent amount or more to a charity or whatever if she felt that guilty about it.

I also find that people who care so strongly about particular issues seem to pick and choose what things they feel bad enough to boycott. Obviously don't know the company that created the "can of pop" but I can imagine that if it was a big multicorp like coca cola they are hardly squeaky clean either.

The universal one I could perhaps vaguely understand or see the point of if the whole theme park was solely HP (or if it was the HP world tour in London they wanted to go to). But given HP is just one part of the huge universal theme park it seems completely OTT.

I think it's a bit daft boycotting the entire Universal parks just because HP is a small section personally.
And I really think it's e rn after to risk your physical health because of hating nestle ...things can change with blood sugar so quickly.

Principals are only principals if you stick to them even when its difficult. Otherwise they are just opinions.
No harm has been done in either case you have cited, MIL had a can of pop and was later fine, and no one will die without a visit to one specific theme park, there are lots of others which are great fun too, just with different themes.

You make good points @asbigasyourhead, particularly about the medical incident. Points of principle become much more important in times like these where hate & exploitation is rising on all sides...I can see why people stick to them and admire them for doing so. We could argue that those points of principle are all we have left to resist.

Many religions have requirements around food.

all
the ones I know say that in the event of a medical emergency or life threatening situation they don’t apply.

so first instance is unreasonable

second instance - plenty of other theme parks in Florida

Theme park - fine to boycott even if the kids moan.

kitkat - I think a medical emergency is a good reason to break a boycott but it is her choice.

What a crappy couple of examples.

Drinking a can of pop is hardly cutting off your nose, nor is not going to Universal

JkR gives away far more money than she keeps to childrens, medical and womans support charities. So it is a stupid principle really.

A second was a family friend who has refused to take her children to Universal as there is Harry Potter there and she doesn’t want to support JK Rowling. (As an aside, I don’t want to derail this into a thread over whether we should or shouldn’t support Rowling!). Her children are devastated and are begging to go but she’s point blank refused.

Why does it not surprise me that the family friend is a twat who would deny her kids a fun experience because of a feminist icon like JKR.

Agree. It's more look at me and how principled I am, applaud me.
Refusing your children to try and avoid giving money to jk Rowling to use in upholding your rights is beyond idiotic and selfish.

I think YABU. Just because it’s not important to you, it might be really important to others. I’m currently boycotting the following things:

The musical 6- Despite really wanting to see it, I will never watch it anywhere in the world due to the fact they cast Dylan Mulvaney (A MAN) as Anne Boleyn on Broadway.

Tampax- Dylan Mulvaney strikes again

Modi Bodi- They used a trans woman (A MAN) in their advertising.

Busch Gardens- I really wanted to go when we were in Florida but as soon as I found out their parent company owned SeaWorld, I went NOPE.

Other people may not agree with me but these things are important to me and I won’t change my mind.

I agree with you that staunchly sticking to principles when it makes little impact on the issue but in a rare situation hurts people around you is crap. It’s performative and selfish.

Why cause your family distress because you are feeling v ill when eating a nestle chocolate would end the drama and their worry. It will make absolutely no difference to the company. And why deny your children fun because an author you dislike might earn fraction of pennies from your children attending a theme park that has many other attractions

No, it’s important to stick to your principles. There is no point having principles if you disregard them as soon as they become inconvenient.

I think both those examples are fine. I would have refused the kitkat too.

i have some strong views but am also a bit of a people pleaser so can find myself ‘relenting’ more than I’d like to - and so I actually admire these women you’ve mentioned!

But these two people disagree about your principles.. Are you willing to change them because they may feel it's unfair to support Neste and JKR?
We all disagree on million things. That's also quite normal and expected.

Ok, in a genuine medical emergency, I don't think it's smart. Admirable, but not smart.
However, HP is a separate issue and what you are essentially saying that it doesn't matter what individual objections are because "if I don't, someone else would". It's a pretty common belief and I profoundly disagree with it. Your friend has a strong view and maybe if every person who held that view made the same decision, there wouldn't have been thousands of people at the park. As to her children being upset, that's fine also. We don't always get what we want and it is a good opportunity to explain to them why we are not going and have an age-appropriate discussion about your beliefs. When they are adults, they can make a different choice.