this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2025
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Something I see a lot in the Fediverse and left wing spheres is people rejecting, or making enemies of imperfect allies. The video I shared paints a great picture of what it's like.

Here is some examples I've seen, and what reactions they've been met with.

"I ditched Gmail for Proton" is met with "That's terrible the CEO is a Trump boot licker"

"Posts on r/BuyCanadian" is met with "Why are you still using Reddit, it's American?"

"I'm pro trans but, there are some things I'm not 100% onboard with" is met with "Harsh criticism & Ban"

"I sold my diesel SUV for an electric KIA" is met with "You shouldn't support China or drive a SUV, buy European instead"

"I switched to Brave instead of Chrome" is met with "Brave sucks its American and still part of chromium"
etc.

I so often see people harshly criticize and alienate people that are mostly on their side, and might in the near future be fully on their side.

Instead I'd like to see responses like

"Hey fantastic that you switched to Proton away from Gmail, consider moving to Migadu as they're an even better solution"

"Awesome that you're buying Canadian, while you're at it consider checking out Lemmy or PieFed"

"Great job switching to Electric, next time consider buying a smaller European car there are many great reasons why they are better"

"Great that you're pro-trance, what's stopping your from being onboard with XYZ? Maybe I can change your mind?"

"Nice Brave is already a lot better than Chrome, even better would be LibreWolf, also make sure to try out Kagi or Qwant instead of google"

You don't change someone's mind by criticizing them, you need to have a discussion and bring them over, tone matters. How do we stop these criticisms and alienating imperfect allies?

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but some of these examples are just clearly not ok, proton isn't better than gmail, brave isn't better than chrome

this post just reads like "you should accept people doing bad things because otherwise you're being a meanie"

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 29 points 5 days ago (2 children)

As big Voltaire said: "perfect is the enemy of good".

There's dozens of reasons why the average person can't commit to being the best; most altruistic person in the world. I think even making the minor changes and starting the ball rolling should be seen as a positive though rather than gatekeeping the route to fully embracing a concept - whether it's greener travel; fairer social policies; or sustainable living.

I've had a bit of stick recently for saying I'm trying to reduce my meat intake - purely from an environmental point of view. It's frustrating when you're looked down upon for not taking the opportunity to go full vegan - it's not a goal that I'm against but fuck me, one step at a time!

Same again with purchasing an EV - yes there's issues with the procurement and disposal of rare metals and the increased use of rubbers and micro plastics due to the weight, but motherfucker I don't care about that at present - I'm just happy that my emissions are coming down and I'm saving a bit of cash.

Politically, I've historically voted Lib Dem but get grief for being a yellow Tory. I'm like bitch I can't stand the Tories - but there's no Green candidate in my area, and I just want to start pushing the stats towards the left to make it more appealing for parties to field more social or left-leaning candidates.

The all or nothing approach does my tits in as well but hey ho, you can only do the best with what you've got.

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Politically, I've historically voted Lib Dem but get grief for being a yellow Tory. I'm like bitch I can't stand the Tories - but there's no Green candidate in my area, and I just want to start pushing the stats towards the left to make it more appealing for parties to field more social or left-leaning candidates.

I'm lucky enough to have a better option in my part of the UK, but for so long as we have FPTP then I am completely with you that tactical voting for the least bad viable option is the best strategy on election day. I've said to friends that I would even vote Tory... if that was the only opposition to Reform in my constituency. Less bad is always still less bad, even if it remains terrible in its own right

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 7 points 5 days ago

even vote Tory... if that was the only opposition to Reform

Fucking hell that's some real Alfred Hitchcock shit that. You should write horror novels!

Ultimately though I would agree, it's whatever helps you to sleep at night with your decision, with the obvious alternative of drawing a comedy penis on the ballot paper for the pure satisfaction of knowing that a civil servant counting on the night gets to admire your artwork.

[–] DeviantOvary@reddthat.com 3 points 5 days ago

FWIW not everyone can thrive on 100% plant-based diet due to genetic differences.

[–] Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 18 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I think we should be calling out these criticisms, and promote an environment where people can take baby steps in the right direction. It's a marathon not a sprint.

[–] popekingjoe@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago

Absolutely agree.

I kinda think this whole approach is what got us where we are today. When you deal in absolutes and don't allow people room and time to grow, and instead force this impossible standard of perfection, you get people who give up trying to do the right thing. Then they fall deeper into the rabbit hole they were climbing themselves out of. It's exhausting.

No one is going to be a perfect ally. People need time to adjust and learn, and we need to have grace and let them have it. People make mistakes. Shit happens. Let's dispense with this hostility and have some compassion in guiding them.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Minor nitpick: Kia is South Korean, not Chinese. Also for your examples this is certainly true, but one should also make sure to not broaden the tent so much that it becomes impossible to have a coherent program. Something like "I support insert good leftwing idea but I also support Israel/deporting immigrants/etc" should be met with a good faith attempt to change the other person's position and, if that fails, rejection. Some lines can't be crossed without fatally compromising whatever you're supposed to be fighting for.

Thanks for the correction & I 100% agree with you

[–] Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 10 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

OMG a YouTube link, disgusting. You should never use YouTube, don't you know they are a big tech American firm supporting the Trump regime

  • Someone Probably

It's exhausting, I already know all these things, I'm trying my best :(

[–] MudMan@fedia.io 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Welcome to the past three hundred years of labor movements, friend. It sucks in here, but it sure is better than the alternative.

I'll say that your proposed alternatives have all the soul crushing artificiality of a customer service call center. I would much rather say nothing at all. I'm not anybody's parent or marketing representative.

I can tell you what I do for each of those things if you want to hear it, but I won't pitch somebody else's product at you and I sure as hell won't take your pitch unless I asked for it. I find people who try to sell you stuff on the street obnoxious and I'm not gonna do that same thing online.

[–] Ek-Hou-Van-Braai@piefed.social 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I'm not sure if you get the point I'm trying to make.

Aka. We should stop rejecting/alienating imperfect allies.

Saying nothing is fine

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

Yes, saying nothing is fine. But at the same time, the above poster is pointing out the other big problem with the left, which is that when they realize that people aren't responding to their negativity/ivory tower/gatekeeping, they say that they need to implement some kind of "strategy" to convince people. But... they talk about using these strategies in public forums, and then are very hamfisted about implementing them, which just makes the whole come off as manipulative.

If the left wants to convince others to join them, the "strategy" shouldn't be to change their verbiage. It should be to recognize their flaws and to individually work on being better people.

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

"I sold my diesel SUV for an electric KIA" is met with "You shouldn't support China or drive a SUV, buy European instead"

"Great job switching to Electric, next time consider buying a smaller European car there are many great reasons why they are better"

Kia is South Korean, you racist. 😑

[–] altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Is it aimed at OP or at a hypothetical person OP invented?

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It is aimed at hypothetical OPπŸ€ͺ

[–] altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Guess they'd learn something today, hypothetically speaking.

I've knew for years where KIA cars are from, but only know I've googled whose company Saab is (Sweden) - your post kinda made me curious where these two cars I've seen in my life were from. If OP isn't a car person or/and select brands are underrepresented in their area, they could've just as well suggested european Fjord 150 over Loisiana's Renault car or something akin to that.

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

european Fjord 150

Damn, Ford's got a cousin?

[–] altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 days ago

Scandi winter could've been a good application of the horsepower and size that is usually used to block 2-6 disabled people's parking spots at once.

[–] altkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 5 days ago

I thought about what to comment there instead of just saying how cute this 'remember the person' post looks in the hostile modern internet, and then I recalled a couple of interactions where digital people in my app took their time and energy to explain me something. That's not reddit/twitter-rare, but it would be nice if it would happen even more often. And, taken out from this one moment's emotional state, I feel kinda bad later for a couple of interactions I had on this platform when I jumped onto assumptions or was in a combatative mood for nothing.

[–] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

It's tough because "the left" isn't a monolith. There are people who are socially left but economically centrist. Similarly, there are people who are economically left but socially more conservative. Support for an economic system does not necessarily determine support for any one of various social causes.

I would argue that most "leftists" in the West are socially progressive liberals, who are perhaps critical of some aspects of neoliberal capitalism, but aren't necessarily strongly committed to abolishing capitalism in favor of socialism or communism. In that regard, they are not economically left, or only slightly economically left. A lot of Western leftists are far more focused on addressing social justice issues within capitalism rather than completely changing the system.

There just isn't one, singular "left." I think there is a very vocal social justice movement in the West and that is what most of us think of when we think of the left, but that group does not have exclusive ownership of all leftist thoughts and ideas, even if they might think they do and even if they try to police the views of other leftists who might but necessarily agree with them on every issue.

[–] Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 2 points 4 days ago

People also care about different things. Say someone cuts out beef because of environmental impact and starts hunting boar instead. Someone else screams at them for animal rights issues that they just don't give a shit about.

[–] barnaclebutt@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

I'm as tolerant as the next man but don't use Reddit you disgusting animals.

[–] bluGill@fedia.io 4 points 5 days ago

Worse by rejecting an imperfect ally you often get an ally that is even worse for your goals.

YIMBY rejecting possible right wing allies in turn have to find common ground with left wing NIMBY and that often means more zoning that makes building impossible. There are many other examples where reaching across the "aisles" would better meet your goals.

I believe it’s partially due to superiority complex.

” You think you’re good? Well, I’m here to inform you that I’m better!”

[–] Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

πŸ˜„pro-trance is a funny typo

Oops sorry, I might be a bit lysdectic πŸ˜… my spelling and typos are horrible

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

unnce-unnce-unnce-unnce

BBWOOOWWWWwwwWWWwwwWWWwwwWWWwwwooooWWWW

[–] Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 4 days ago

πŸ₯°love it

Best at 220 BPM 😜

[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Also consider that you may be the imperfect ally.

Maybe you are on the wrong about something and the other person you think they are imperfect are on the right. One of the things about being open-minded is precisely having the mind open to different ideas (all within reason of course).

I too have been seeing a tendency of left wing fundamentalism where there less and less room to discuss anything each year. I don't think that's healthy. I get that's a defense mechanism to cope with far-right rise, but I think it is a mistake.

I think the thing that made left wing the intellectual's choice and the best choice it's that it's funded on reason and not in indiscutible and inamovible dogmas. In order to keep it this way there need to be giggle room, there need to be people who differ in some topics, there need to be variety, there need to be different opinions from different environments and different social backgrounds.

And it's not that because they are different they are wrong. They might as well be right and you are the one on the wrong. The purest dogma may be wrong. That's why diversity is needed. Without diversity a bad dogma will never get questioned, and thus never will change to something better.

Once again. All within reason, I'm not saying to tolerate the intolerant. I'm saying that not everyone who has a slightly different way of thinking is an intolerant fascist neo-hotler.

So I say. Accept the different but not only with the hope of "converting" them. Accept them because overall you have more in common and because you love people having different ways of seeing the world.

If you do it with the idea of "converting" them I think things are going to go badly. Just accept them, they may convert or you may convert or no one may convert and you both keep coexisting without having to agree 100% on everything. And that's fine.

[–] Lumisal@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

Great that you're pro-trance, what's stopping your from being onboard with XYZ? Maybe I can change your mind

Sure, I've never heard xyz music, so link a song and I'll listen.

Joking aside, wanted to point out the issue must have with Brave isn't that it's Chromium based, it's that they're a VERY shady company.

Between the transphobia, the secret crypto mining at one point, the link jacking, and so on, I'd say it's as bad as Google Chrome, but maybe even less trustworthy than Google (okay, maybe not, but it's close enough that the thought crosses the mind). There's no reason they should be trusted anymore.

Friends don't let friends use Brave.

Most people's goals in commenting is not to change the minds of others. It is usually about alliance building. Essentially breaking people up into groups, looking for others that fit into the group you are in, excluding those why aren't. Polarization really. When lemmy was new, lemmy was the group. So people less often tried to alienate others in order to carve out thier niche. But as it has grown, it has driven people toward fracturing to form groups from the group. This is just how humans evolved to be.