I feel let down and insulted by the stupidity of the gender worshippers

I know a few genderwooists who are older and intelligent. But what strikes me about them is that they are quite insecure people who have always needed a "thing" to join and be a part of, and needed praise and admiration from others. It's a bit like how intelligent people can become victims of cults. They rationalise it and think they must be right because they are intelligent and wouldn't be taken in by nonsense.

One of them in particular, a family member, has always, always sought out identities, labels , diagnoses and special communities to join. Each time it gives them some relief from their depression and low self-esteem because they "are" this new thing and can go on about it and get praise for talking about it. Then it wears off and they're looking for the next thing. It made perfect sense that in the current climate they'd end up deciding they were trans - and because it gives them relief and a sense of meaning, they will defend the ideology to the hilt, even though they can't make a rational argument for it, because otherwise it would be personal devastation for them to not have that special thing to "be" IYSWIM.

I do also ttink there's another factor at play which is the "I must be wrong about what I instinctively feel because I'm white/western middle class"" So men literally being women doesn't seem to make sense, that means you're a western white bigot who must re-educate yourself and spout the mantra for fear of being ffound out.

I sometimes wish there was someone, anyone, amongst the gender worshippers with some semblance of intelligence. Even their 'best' arguments are so utterly stupid that it's sort of quite sad.

I admire Richard Ma enormously. Ma is charming, smart and funny. He's also an excellent doctor, passionate about sexual health, and a superb researcher. He has intelligence in abundance. I was very sorry to see him be so dismissive of Margaret McCartney in public.

I believe he is profoundly mistaken because he does not grasp the full range of implications for women. I don't attribute malice, misogyny or other detrimental characteristics to him.

"I would say that people who believe all this are not stupid. I agree that the beliefs are irrational, anti-reality and utterly incoherent. But smart people can believe irrational things if they have powerful motivators to do so. In this case, their motivators are tribal allegiance ( I am part of this good group, this good group thinks this so I do too, because I am good and part of this group ) and fear of social ostracisation by your group."
My daughter, intelligent woman in her forties, works in the arts. Knows what's going on in terms of disadvantage to women, but knows a few trans people, so fingers in ears and singing "la la la". So maddening, especially when I'm trying to resist the nonsense for the good of her and other younger women and girls....

I would say though that gender ideology is the very opposite of humanism. True humanism never believed humans were only rational; but that rational thought and human spiritual selves were intertwined - most humanistic traditions were also fully spiritual and religious as well. Humanism was human-centred.

The new gender ideology is anti-humanist, anti-Enlightenment and anti-humanisic liberalism. There’s a reason why its philosophical adherents align themselves with what’s called in theoretical circles “posthumanism” and “transhumanism”! It’s because they specifically see themselves as anti-humanistic.

I agree, OP.

I’ve been at this now for, oooh, seven years or so? And I’m bored, frankly.

There’s only so many times a woman can ask the same questions and receive the self same dishonesty, disingenuousness and deflection in response. There is no intellectual curiosity in the genderist position. There is only the public recitation of the credo, and the endless navel gazing meanderings into self from solipsistic individuals who think that everyone else finds them as endlessly fascinating as they do.

Bored.

But the bugger is, I can’t disengage because we still need to keep up the pressure.

Well, long before this I always believed that humans were a predominantly driven by instincts and emotions. Its why I had no truck with humanists who believe we are a rational species heading, eschatologically, to a better future.

I feel quite vindicated that the humanists have proved my point by adopting all this irrational nonsense to satisfy their tribal instincts

I would say that people who believe all this are not stupid. I agree that the beliefs are irrational, anti-reality and utterly incoherent. But smart people can believe irrational things if they have powerful motivators to do so. In this case, their motivators are tribal allegiance ( I am part of this good group, this good group thinks this so I do too, because I am good and part of this group ) and fear of social ostracisation by your group.

And also, all of the people I know in RL who believe this stuff don't actually understand what it is they are defending. One friend, defending all this, made three statements that would have her hounded as transphobic, in the course of DEFENDING TWAW. Most lay followers don't really what they are following.

I’m no scientist but I found this article interesting and apposite - “stubborn irrationality” "disable critical thinking processes and freeze emotional processing" -
www.labroots.com/trending/neuroscience/15729/cults-change-brain

Case in point.

Totally agree with you, OP. It is demoralising, and the analogy with young creationists is very accurate.

What dismays me the most and I can't work out is the otherwise intelligent adults who concede that women need single sex spaces in some instances yet STILL broadly side with the TRAs and malign women for being transphobic and saying that they need these things. It frustrates me that I can't see where that angle is coming from

The one that I can't get my head around is someone I know who socially transitioned their child. She (the mother) has always been gender (stereotype) nonconforming, and became more vocally feminist after experiencing pregnancy, really being aware of the biological differences affecting experience. I cannot get my head around how she can believe gender ideology. It makes no sense whatsoever looking at her life and (former) beliefs. I could just about understand a very stereotypically feminine woman believing it

And your 2nd post was equally unclear. The phrase "believe in genders" could mean various different things. Please could you clarify what you meant?

You can't argue with stupid.

It'll all fizzle down in a couple of years.

Most of it is fueled by the media.

Just here with the popcorn waiting for one of them to prove your point😉

I'm assuming you're referring to people who believe in genders from your post. But I'm not so sure now. Regardless you need to be clearer.

I haven’t done a survey, academic research but I also feel let down down by the under 25’s who appear to have swallowed the lie hook, line and sinker without identifying the misogyny/ major harm to women.

Happy to be corrected but cannot think of many or any youngsters who are able to be truthful about this issue. I always feel like I’m in a bad panto of the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’.

Grow up

Or do you not believe in that either 😂😂😂

I agree with you entirely. They come from one of two camps - the intellectually dishonest, and the hard of thinking.

[quote Lordamighty]I agree with you about the difference in the quality of the debate. I have just read the speech Abigail Shrier gave to the students at Princeton, it’s amazing.

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/what-i-told-the-students-of-princeton?r=8aqhg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email[/quote]
What a great speech - thanks for sharing the link.

[quote Lordamighty]I agree with you about the difference in the quality of the debate. I have just read the speech Abigail Shrier gave to the students at Princeton, it’s amazing.

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/what-i-told-the-students-of-princeton?r=8aqhg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email[/quote]
Thanks for posting this. I really admire Abigail.