Values Dissonance/Real Life: Difference between revisions

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** Then in the opposite fashion, using "Afro-Caribbean" or a similar term in Britain is almost always derided as pretentious over-politeness, and "black" is universally acceptable and officially correct (this is probably also because "Black British" has [[Alliteration]]).
** Then in the opposite fashion, using "Afro-Caribbean" or a similar term in Britain is almost always derided as pretentious over-politeness, and "black" is universally acceptable and officially correct (this is probably also because "Black British" has [[Alliteration]]).
** Although a racial slur, the word "macaca" (derived from the macaque monkey) is a fairly common one with French-speaking African white people. When Senate candidate George Allen used it to refer to a videographer at a campaign stop, it all but ended his candidacy; when people learned what it meant, they took it to be as bad as "nigger".
** Although a racial slur, the word "macaca" (derived from the macaque monkey) is a fairly common one with French-speaking African white people. When Senate candidate George Allen used it to refer to a videographer at a campaign stop, it all but ended his candidacy; when people learned what it meant, they took it to be as bad as "nigger".
** In Costa Rica calling a black person anything other than "negro", spanish for "black", is considered offensive
** In Costa Rica calling a black person anything other than "negro", spanish for "black", is considered offensive.
*** Likewise "negro", or "negra", is used as a term of endearment in a lot of Spanish speaking cultures.
*** Likewise "negro", or "negra", is used as a term of endearment in a lot of Spanish speaking cultures.
*** On most Latin American countries, trying to acknowledge the African roots of its black population by calling them "afro-descendants" or something "afro"-prefixed is often seen as unnecessarily pretentious at best, and as "gringo" influences at worst (despite the Afro-prefixed proponents being often anti-America socialists). The usual retort is "What's wrong with being called black?"
** There is a Chinese brand of toothpaste that until a few years ago called itself "Darkie" and used a blackface image because they thought that black people really had teeth that white. It's now called "Darlie," and the image is of a normal-looking black man (albeit in a minstrel-style top hat). However, the Chinese text still reads "Black Man Toothpaste." Incidentally, there is also a "Whiteman" brand toothpaste, though Darlie is still far, far more popular.
** There is a Chinese brand of toothpaste that until a few years ago called itself "Darkie" and used a blackface image because they thought that black people really had teeth that white. It's now called "Darlie," and the image is of a normal-looking black man (albeit in a minstrel-style top hat). However, the Chinese text still reads "Black Man Toothpaste." Incidentally, there is also a "Whiteman" brand toothpaste, though Darlie is still far, far more popular.
** In South Africa, the racial term "coloured" is not considered offensive, since it refers to someone of a particular Afrikaans-speaking cultural group which has mixed Black/White/Asian ancestry (and a significant amount of them are Muslim).
** In South Africa, the racial term "coloured" is not considered offensive, since it refers to someone of a particular Afrikaans-speaking cultural group which has mixed Black/White/Asian ancestry (and a significant amount of them are Muslim).
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**** That word is totally accepted and used in most Spanish-speaking countries, with the usual definitions of "barbaric and cruel" or "course and crude" (used as both adjective and name, mainly the second).
**** That word is totally accepted and used in most Spanish-speaking countries, with the usual definitions of "barbaric and cruel" or "course and crude" (used as both adjective and name, mainly the second).
*** Also, in South Africa there is no euphemism for calling someone "black", and it's not seen as derogatory to refer to people in that way. The most common alternate term for "black" is "African", which makes no sense if you think about it; usually people who use the term "African" wind up having to use the term "black" anyway for clarification. It's still "African" on the latest Census, though.
*** Also, in South Africa there is no euphemism for calling someone "black", and it's not seen as derogatory to refer to people in that way. The most common alternate term for "black" is "African", which makes no sense if you think about it; usually people who use the term "African" wind up having to use the term "black" anyway for clarification. It's still "African" on the latest Census, though.
** In North America the normal word used to describe someone of East Asian background is "Asian", as opposed to people of south Asian background who may be referred to as "East Indian". In the UK, on the other hand, people of East Asian ancestry are called "Oriental" (a ''very'' derogatory term in North America that Brits would be best advised to avoid while visiting, as it's connected to some very nasty stereotypes), while people of South Asian ancestry are simply "Asian". "Chinaman" is often used in the UK but (outside of a few specialized meanings) is considered both derogatory and archaic in North America, where the normal term is always "Chinese".
* In North America the normal word used to describe someone of East Asian background is "Asian", as opposed to people of south Asian background who may be referred to as "East Indian". In the UK, on the other hand, people of East Asian ancestry are called "Oriental" (a ''very'' derogatory term in North America that Brits would be best advised to avoid while visiting, as it's connected to some very nasty stereotypes), while people of South Asian ancestry are simply "Asian". "Chinaman" is often used in the UK but (outside of a few specialized meanings) is considered both derogatory and archaic in North America, where the normal term is always "Chinese".
*** Note that Oriental is only offensive in North America when referring to a person (as opposed to words like nigger which aren't used in polite conversation at all). It is still commonly used to evoke archaic or mystical themes, as in the "Mysterious Orient", and you will here it quite often in reference to objects like "oriental pottery" or something similar. It's also uncommon enough that many Americans don't even know it is offensive.
*** Note that Oriental is only offensive in North America when referring to a person (as opposed to words like nigger which aren't used in polite conversation at all). It is still commonly used to evoke archaic or mystical themes, as in the "Mysterious Orient", and you will here it quite often in reference to objects like "oriental pottery" or something similar. It's also uncommon enough that many Americans don't even know it is offensive.
* On the race issue, the minstrel show held out far longer in the UK than it did in the United States - 'Coon singers' (I quote verbatim) appeared in the theatre into the 1960s, the minstrel troupe ( not quite minstrelsy as the Americans would understand it, 12-odd men, generally in blazers, trousers and boaters, blacked up, playing banjo, banjolele or ukelele, singing well-known popular songs, rather than american 'negro songs) could be seen at the seaside well into the previous century, and the ''Black-and-White Minstrel Show'' appeared on television into the '70s, and on stage into the 1980s.
* On the race issue, the minstrel show held out far longer in the UK than it did in the United States - 'Coon singers' (I quote verbatim) appeared in the theatre into the 1960s, the minstrel troupe ( not quite minstrelsy as the Americans would understand it, 12-odd men, generally in blazers, trousers and boaters, blacked up, playing banjo, banjolele or ukelele, singing well-known popular songs, rather than american 'negro songs) could be seen at the seaside well into the previous century, and the ''Black-and-White Minstrel Show'' appeared on television into the '70s, and on stage into the 1980s.
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*** Not only in the US. In Germany even a strict dress code can cause this effect. While most German school regulations feature a clause, about "appropriate clothing", you practically, had to show up shirtless/ in a bikini to actually face any consequences. On the other hand, German history made Germans [[Godwin's Law|feel very uneasy]] about [[Those Wacky Nazis|putting children in uniforms]]. Even boy scouts are often regarded with suspicion.
*** Not only in the US. In Germany even a strict dress code can cause this effect. While most German school regulations feature a clause, about "appropriate clothing", you practically, had to show up shirtless/ in a bikini to actually face any consequences. On the other hand, German history made Germans [[Godwin's Law|feel very uneasy]] about [[Those Wacky Nazis|putting children in uniforms]]. Even boy scouts are often regarded with suspicion.
*** Or, that uniforms in the US are solely for Catholic schools.
*** Or, that uniforms in the US are solely for Catholic schools.
*** Being a country with major class disparities, uniforms are universal in South Africa, at least in part to "equalize" students and minimize bullying.
*** Being a country with major class disparities, uniforms are universal in South Africa, at least in part to "equalize" students and minimize bullying. Venezuela's universal uniform school regulations were instituted for the same reasons.
** And then there's the whole topic of sex ed in Europe vs. [[Scare'Em Straight|certain parts of the USA]]...
** And then there's the whole topic of sex ed in Europe vs. [[Scare'Em Straight|certain parts of the USA]]...
** Respect towards teachers. Granted, this may even vary within a country (private and public schools) or even within one school, but there are still some differences. Some countries (such as the United States) see teachers as mentors and prefer more egalitarian relationships between students and teachers; others (such as France and Japan) see teachers as authority figures who need to be obeyed, not negotiated with, by students. In some countries in the latter group, practices such as students standing up to honor the teacher when s/he enters the room are common - which can seem antiquated and silly to people from countries which prefer the former approach. Think of the one scene in the fourth ''[[Harry Potter]]'' movie, where the French pupils shoot up when their headmaster enters, while the other students stare and even giggle. Conversely, French and Japanese viewers must find the active interest teachers in shows like ''[[Glee]]'' have in their students' personal lives to be bizarre and off-putting.
** Respect towards teachers. Granted, this may even vary within a country (private and public schools) or even within one school, but there are still some differences. Some countries (such as the United States) see teachers as mentors and prefer more egalitarian relationships between students and teachers; others (such as France and Japan) see teachers as authority figures who need to be obeyed, not negotiated with, by students. In some countries in the latter group, practices such as students standing up to honor the teacher when s/he enters the room are common - which can seem antiquated and silly to people from countries which prefer the former approach. Think of the one scene in the fourth ''[[Harry Potter]]'' movie, where the French pupils shoot up when their headmaster enters, while the other students stare and even giggle. Conversely, French and Japanese viewers must find the active interest teachers in shows like ''[[Glee]]'' have in their students' personal lives to be bizarre and off-putting.
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** In the UK, ear-piercing of young- even baby- girls is fairly common, at least enough to be unremarkable, although it's seen as somewhat low-class (and schools most likely won't allow it).
** In the UK, ear-piercing of young- even baby- girls is fairly common, at least enough to be unremarkable, although it's seen as somewhat low-class (and schools most likely won't allow it).
** In Germany ear-piercing of 2 to 3-year-old girlsit is pretty much standard and earpiercing of boys is getting more and more popular. No schools, except for a few ''very'' conservative cathloic ones, prohibit wearing ear rings.
** In Germany ear-piercing of 2 to 3-year-old girlsit is pretty much standard and earpiercing of boys is getting more and more popular. No schools, except for a few ''very'' conservative cathloic ones, prohibit wearing ear rings.
** On most part of Latin America is seen as obligatory to pierce your baby girl's ears as soon as possible. Piercing your baby ''boy's'' ears, however, is just not done.
* In the UK, the privatisation of water services in the last 13 years has lead to a substantial difference in domestic habits. In the West Country county of Cornwall a tiny percentage of the UK population - and one that is already the most impoverished - has had to pay for sewage treatment upgrades and beach cleaning for a large chunk of the UK's coastline, much of which is to satisfy the tourist trade. As a result the tariffs are very high and many families have had water meters installed to avoid the astronomical standard charge. As the unit cost is still high, this had lead to the habit of restricting water usage and the most generally adopted method is to flush the lavatory for "solids only" and water used for showers, baths and washing floors etc, invariably saved to pour down the toilet. Most British visitors accept these habits but American tourists tend to be horrified by the daily accumulations of family urine in the lavatory.
* In the UK, the privatisation of water services in the last 13 years has lead to a substantial difference in domestic habits. In the West Country county of Cornwall a tiny percentage of the UK population - and one that is already the most impoverished - has had to pay for sewage treatment upgrades and beach cleaning for a large chunk of the UK's coastline, much of which is to satisfy the tourist trade. As a result the tariffs are very high and many families have had water meters installed to avoid the astronomical standard charge. As the unit cost is still high, this had lead to the habit of restricting water usage and the most generally adopted method is to flush the lavatory for "solids only" and water used for showers, baths and washing floors etc, invariably saved to pour down the toilet. Most British visitors accept these habits but American tourists tend to be horrified by the daily accumulations of family urine in the lavatory.
** Similarly, in New Zealand and Australia, all toilets are equipped with two flush settings: a small flush for urine and a big flush for feces. These kinds of toilets are slowly catching on in the rest of the world as well.
** Similarly, in New Zealand and Australia, all toilets are equipped with two flush settings: a small flush for urine and a big flush for feces. These kinds of toilets are slowly catching on in the rest of the world as well.
* The way you refer to someone can have different meanings depending on your culture, and the language. A lot of Spanish cultures are fine with using nicknames or affectionate terms like "negra" and "negro" to refer to darker skinned people, or "gordo" and "gorda" for chubbier people. In other cultures, both would be quite offensive.
* The way you refer to someone can have different meanings depending on your culture, and the language. A lot of Spanish cultures are fine with using nicknames or affectionate terms like "negra" and "negro" to refer to darker skinned (or just darker haired) people, or "gordo" and "gorda" for chubbier people. In other cultures, both would be quite offensive.
* The NHL's legal fighting in a game not fighting oriented. While many find it [[Blood Sport|horrible because of the violence in it]], a much large part of the fans [[Ancient Tradition|see it as a part of the game's grit, intensity, and emotional nature]].
* The NHL's legal fighting in a game not fighting oriented. While many find it [[Blood Sport|horrible because of the violence in it]], a much large part of the fans [[Ancient Tradition|see it as a part of the game's grit, intensity, and emotional nature]].
** To add another level toward this, popular American sports athletes can almost be considered above the law, to the point where it's unusual for drug use or violent crimes to carry significant penalties beyond the potential loss of sponsorship, and attempting to rein in a player too much may lead to him leaving the team and accepting an offer elsewhere. In contrast, the NHL's players tend to be extremely polite and orderly outside of the game, with criminal activity being so scandalous as to have the league as a whole drop the player.
** To add another level toward this, popular American sports athletes can almost be considered above the law, to the point where it's unusual for drug use or violent crimes to carry significant penalties beyond the potential loss of sponsorship, and attempting to rein in a player too much may lead to him leaving the team and accepting an offer elsewhere. In contrast, the NHL's players tend to be extremely polite and orderly outside of the game, with criminal activity being so scandalous as to have the league as a whole drop the player.
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** As a closer example, that is the reason why Spain refuses to asking help for solving his economic woes to the E.U. in the same way as Greece, since that will imply that the Spaniard economic and political system will be scrutined in the same way as the Greek one.
** As a closer example, that is the reason why Spain refuses to asking help for solving his economic woes to the E.U. in the same way as Greece, since that will imply that the Spaniard economic and political system will be scrutined in the same way as the Greek one.
** Ditto with Argentina in the 2000's, with the Argentinians choosing [[Take a Third Option|an extreme choice]] and prefering to going bankrupt rather to having a foreign institution like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to saying what to do with their country.
** Ditto with Argentina in the 2000's, with the Argentinians choosing [[Take a Third Option|an extreme choice]] and prefering to going bankrupt rather to having a foreign institution like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to saying what to do with their country.
* To quote the former entry in Values Resonence, "anyone who's a fan of strict separation could pick up a copy of John Leland's ''[http://classicliberal.tripod.com/misc/conscience.html Rights of Conscience Inalienable]'' and find it perfectly cogent or even ''progressive'' by modern standards." Except that the essay is based on a false choice between values of people and the government, with no mention made to evidence, and the assumption of the existance of god. Mr Leland also has trouble with the concept of a man doing evil while he believes himself to be doing good. Many similar claims and assumptions therein have been disproven by Evolution, which is fairness Mr Leland had no knowledge of. The origonal troper obviously found it convincing, but many who do have knledge of evolution, would not.
* To quote the former entry in Values Resonance, "anyone who's a fan of strict separation could pick up a copy of John Leland's ''[http://classicliberal.tripod.com/misc/conscience.html Rights of Conscience Inalienable]'' and find it perfectly cogent or even ''progressive'' by modern standards." Except that the essay is based on a false choice between values of people and the government, with no mention made to evidence, and the assumption of the existence of god. Mr Leland also has trouble with the concept of a man doing evil while he believes himself to be doing good. Many similar claims and assumptions therein have been disproven by Evolution, which is fairness Mr Leland had no knowledge of. The original troper obviously found it convincing, but many who do have knowledge of evolution, would not.


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