I have been very gratified by the response to my previous post of Stevefirmations. I have heard from people who said they found new meaning in life. I have heard from people who said they have built deeper relationships with important people in their lives. I have heard from people who said that red bell peppers are four for $5.00 at Cub, though the peppers didn’t look too good.
With such a response, it seem obligatory for me to continue this important work. Therefore:
Good day, delightful blog readers! Jen here, just giving you a quick intro to this post. Having become disillusioned with his fiction writing career, Steve has decided to reinvent himself as a motivational life coach. Also, he learned how to put text on images. So welcome to the new direction of Dreamcafe. If you’re struggling with an issue right now, let us know in comments and maybe you’ll get some STEVESPIRATION.
1. Drink coffee
2. Finish revisions on new Incrementalist novel
3. Drink more coffee
4. Work on new Vlad novel
5. Check in with Jen about Stuff
6. Catch up on the internet
7. End capitalism
8. Say something nice about the dog
I always run out of day before I’ve finished my to-do list. Poor dog.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will be taught to rend.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will bite the heads off those who are to blame.
Blessed are the meek, for they do not step on our tails.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they go stomping around devouring all the righteousness out there, fer realz.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall kill tonight’s dinner quickly.
Blseesed are the pure in heart, for they don’t mind killing tonight’s dinner quickly.
Blessed are the peacemakers, because they keep those mean, nasty old T-Rexes away from us.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because nothing is more fun than rending and devouring persecutors. I mean, who doesn’t love that?
— Second Church of Christ, Velociraptor.
I’ve just caught bits and pieces of this discussion on Twitter, and am mystified. I hadn’t been aware that was a controversy, and I’m still not sure what it is. I mean, if someone were to say to me, “You must put trigger warnings in your books for anything that might upset someone,” then I can see being pissed off; but, so far as I know, no one is saying that.
I’m clearly missing something in here. I don’t see why someone choosing to put a trigger warning on something should be a problem, and I’m a little lost trying to find the downside of requiring them on classics. Well, okay, I admit; were I a student, I’d be slightly–very slightly–miffed to see certain warnings on certain books because it might give away something I’d want to discover myself. But that doesn’t seem like a big deal. Also, the proliferation of trigger warnings might be related to the annoying trend among academics and elements of the middle class to say, “If I am upset or hurt, it must mean someone did something wrong, therefore we need to make sure no one does that thing ever again.” But, even if it is related to that, 1) I don’t see the problem as that big, and, 2) I don’t see trigger warnings as being a big part of that.
The joke, “Trigger warnings are a trigger for me,” is stupid and not funny, and has a tiny element of truth: proliferation of trigger warnings can sometimes be irritating. Is that enough of a reason to discourage them? I don’t see why.
I’m trying my best here to find a good reason to come out against trigger warning, and, as you can see, not having much luck. What am I missing? What are the broader aspects to this? Why is it a controversy? The only thing that’s obvious is that there things I’m not seeing, and I’m now officially curious enough to ask.