N
noname223
Angelic
- Aug 18, 2020
- 4,975
I have an acquaintance. He has a weird world view. We talked a lot today but he is too far gone. Too insane and obsessed about his ideas. I cannot reach him anymore with rational arguments. In the past I could but it gets worse with him. He is in his internet echo chamber and thinks 24/7 how to trigger the libs. Currently he told me he wants to read more texts of rightwing extremists and radicalize himself. I can tell about some of his beliefs. He once told me he thinks women should have no human rights (but he treats his gf very well though), he considers to become a racist, he is convinced of eugenics for humans etc.
My close friends ask themselves why I still talk to him. We have a similar childhood. Very abusive parents. Domestic violence which resulted in mentall illness. I can somehow see how he became this way. And I think with worse friends and a worse environment I could have become similar. I just feel for him. Moreover I somehow admire how he can cope with poverty and want to learn from that. (It is impossible he is used to it since his early childhood he adapted to it.)
I am not sure. I try to act morally and ask myself whether is really a good excuse to have been abused for developing such inhumane world views? I am not sure. Abuse, neglect and traumata is difficult to cope with. I mean he is smart enough to recognize his faults. I am just sick when he insults minorities. He is also quite paradoxical and says for example unemployed people are just lazy. He himself has no job and does not want one. This is a good example that logical arguments just don't work with him anymore. I pointed that out. And he said yeah he might search for one job in the future just not now. We both know that is a lie.
I sympathize with him (sometimes). Maybe too much? I think his life was really unfair. I think his abusive parents were even worse than mine. The things I know about them sound horrific.
In front of courts I think they also weigh in such factors. But it is difficult to assess that in a moral or judicial sense.
I am in a dilemma. I don't really have an answer for. But if I was part of the minorities he insults I would stop contact immediately. I am not sure whether I am a hypocrite. I hope by pointing out some thinking fallacies I could have a positive impact on him. But I think it rather gets worse and worse with him.
Do you think an abusive childhood is an excuse for such a behavior? And to which extent? Are there red lines which shall not be crossed?
My close friends ask themselves why I still talk to him. We have a similar childhood. Very abusive parents. Domestic violence which resulted in mentall illness. I can somehow see how he became this way. And I think with worse friends and a worse environment I could have become similar. I just feel for him. Moreover I somehow admire how he can cope with poverty and want to learn from that. (It is impossible he is used to it since his early childhood he adapted to it.)
I am not sure. I try to act morally and ask myself whether is really a good excuse to have been abused for developing such inhumane world views? I am not sure. Abuse, neglect and traumata is difficult to cope with. I mean he is smart enough to recognize his faults. I am just sick when he insults minorities. He is also quite paradoxical and says for example unemployed people are just lazy. He himself has no job and does not want one. This is a good example that logical arguments just don't work with him anymore. I pointed that out. And he said yeah he might search for one job in the future just not now. We both know that is a lie.
I sympathize with him (sometimes). Maybe too much? I think his life was really unfair. I think his abusive parents were even worse than mine. The things I know about them sound horrific.
In front of courts I think they also weigh in such factors. But it is difficult to assess that in a moral or judicial sense.
I am in a dilemma. I don't really have an answer for. But if I was part of the minorities he insults I would stop contact immediately. I am not sure whether I am a hypocrite. I hope by pointing out some thinking fallacies I could have a positive impact on him. But I think it rather gets worse and worse with him.
Do you think an abusive childhood is an excuse for such a behavior? And to which extent? Are there red lines which shall not be crossed?
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