• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

White fragility in the workplace

Wrangor said:
Pointing out your condescension isn't fragility. It doesn't offend me. It is just who you are on these boards. I'm cool with that. The video isnt meant to spark honest discussion. It was meant to be funny.

And no one wants to discuss anything with you because you don't actually engage. You ask questions intent to entrap and then condescend towards that person. So no, I don't think anyone will engage this topic with you because everyone knows your schtick. We have 30,000 something posts of evidence to verify that you aren't often actually interested in true discourse. I get it. It's cool. Just don't act surprised when people kind of ignore your questions.

But I'll give you my quick opinion. I don't think white fragility is a pressing issue in our culture. I think there are whiny/offended people in every race. Whites certainly don't hold the monopoly on it.

I do think the video is funny in an outrageous/that isn't how life happens kind of way.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Since when are funny things not meant to spark a discussion? The video isn't meant to engage?

The video was done by AJ+. Their motto is "Experience. Empower. Engage." Of course it was meant to engage.
http://ajplus.net/english/

Just because you don't like the topic doesn't mean you can accuse someone of condescension for asking you to actually talk about it.

And obviously it happens because some people thought it was important enough to make a video about it. Now it may be your experience or the experience that people are willing to share with you, but it's a valid experience that you should acknowledge.
 
Wrangor was being pretty generous even saying that the video was hilarious (it's not even close, really), and you think it's an example of *his* fragility that he thinks there are "probably" better avenues for "serious" discussion. You don't think maybe you're the one being over-sensitive to that completely non-controversial opinion?
 
I saw it on fbook a few days ago and laughed. I actually think it's pretty funny that there are real people that think white fragility is actually a thing any more than black fragility or red fragility or brown fragility.

You guys go for it I guess. 'Color' fragility wouldnt make my list of top 1,000,000 things wrong with this world. I guess in some ways it's a brilliant topic to bring up because anyone that doesn't agree with you in its importance is labeling themselves as the very thing they don't see as a valid discussion point.

I don't think it is common for white people to try and touch black peoples hair and make uncomfortable comments. I don't think there are many white people that would be offended if someone corrected their wrong assessment of nationality. thus I interpreted the video as satire. To be honest I didnt realize that this was actually a thing that people took seriously.

Humanity isn't fragile. We are stubborn and stuck in our ways (all races). So it doesn't matter what the subject matter, if you call someone out on a personal flaw, most of the time people are going to react poorly. Labeling white people with owning this phenomenon is disingenuous IMO. There are racist people. If you call them racist they are going to act out. There are lazy people. If you call them lazy they are going to act poorly. There are greedy people, if you call them greedy they are going to act poorly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Wrangor said:
I saw it on fbook a few days ago and laughed. I actually think it's pretty funny that there are real people that think white fragility is actually a thing any more than black fragility or red fragility or brown fragility.

You guys go for it I guess. 'Color' fragility wouldnt make my list of top 1,000,000 things wrong with this world. I guess in some ways it's a brilliant topic to bring up because anyone that doesn't agree with you in its importance is labeling themselves as the very thing they don't see as a valid discussion point.

I don't think it is common for white people to try and touch black peoples hair and make uncomfortable comments. I don't think there are many white people that would be offended if someone corrected their wrong assessment of nationality. thus I interpreted the video as satire. To be honest I didnt realize that this was actually a thing that people took seriously.

Humanity isn't fragile. We are stubborn and stuck in our ways (all races). So it doesn't matter what the subject matter, if you call someone out on a personal flaw, most of the time people are going to react poorly. Labeling white people with owning this phenomenon is disingenuous IMO. There are racist people. If you call them racist they are going to act out. There are lazy people. If you call them lazy they are going to act poorly. There are greedy people, if you call them greedy they are going to act poorly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

What a weird post. Just because you don't think something happens and it happens to a whole lot of other people doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Also nobody said only white people get offended.
 
Is there a black fragility phenomenon? If this isn't limited to white people then why coin it 'white fragility '?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Because this is the fragility that happens to white people.

If you want to coin the term black fragility to describe a similar phenomenon in which black people do the same thing, go for it.
 
What is distinct about the white reaction about being called out on a personal flaw that blacks don't exhibit? I'm honestly trying to understand this.

If I were to approach you in your workplace and insult you (whether accurate or not) I doubt you would respond kindly. If it was true I doubt you would have self awareness in the moment (regardless of skin color) to repent and work on your flaw. So what is unique about white people that other races don't exhibit when confronted with a personal flaw?

I'll be honest I actually enjoy the discourse. I didn't expect you would actually discuss and I was wrong. I apologize. But I am curious as to why white fragility is any different than black fragility. There has to be a differentiation or we wouldn't need to distinguish it as specifically white.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
How can someone actually think white fragility isn't a thing after watching white America collectively lose its shit over a football player kneeling quietly during the national anthem?
 
Here's the definition of white fragility within the abstract of a paper on the topic. If you want to insert black for white here and find evidence of "black fragility," go right ahead.

http://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/view/249/116

White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress, leading to what I refer to as White Fragility. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium. This paper explicates the dynamics of White Fragility.
 
P4nthers11 said:
How can someone actually think white fragility isn't a thing after watching white America collectively lose its shit over a football player kneeling quietly during the national anthem?
Click to expand...

No idea, man.
 
P4nthers11 said:
How can someone actually think white fragility isn't a thing after watching white America collectively lose its shit over a football player kneeling quietly during the national anthem?
Click to expand...

So disagreement is now fragility? Interesting. Are people not allowed disagree with Kaeps demonstration? Is that what white fragility is? Disagreement?

Victor Cruz exhibiting his white fragility about Kaep.

“Regardless of how you feel about the things that are going on in America today and the things that are going on across the world with gun violence and things of that nature, you’ve got to respect the flag,” Cruz said. “And you’ve got to stand up with your teammates. It’s bigger than just you, in my opinion. I think you go up there, you’re with a team and you go and you pledge your allegiance to the flag and you sing the national anthem with your team. And then you go about your business, whatever your beliefs are.

“On a personal standpoint, I think you have to stand up with your team, and understand that this game and what’s on around the country is bigger than just you,” he added.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Wrangor said:
So disagreement is now fragility? Interesting. Are people not allowed disagree with Kaeps demonstration? Is that what white fragility is? Disagreement?

Victor Cruz exhibiting his white fragility about Kaep.

“Regardless of how you feel about the things that are going on in America today and the things that are going on across the world with gun violence and things of that nature, you’ve got to respect the flag,” Cruz said. “And you’ve got to stand up with your teammates. It’s bigger than just you, in my opinion. I think you go up there, you’re with a team and you go and you pledge your allegiance to the flag and you sing the national anthem with your team. And then you go about your business, whatever your beliefs are.

“On a personal standpoint, I think you have to stand up with your team, and understand that this game and what’s on around the country is bigger than just you,” he added.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

You experience the world how you experience it. But what I saw was not mere disagreement. I have not seen such a backlash since Michael Vick killed dogs and Ray Rice knocked his wife out. Whether the backlash observed from media sources was reflective or creative, I cannot say, but I would definitely say that it seemed to me like anger, fear, and discomfort coming from a lot of people.
 
P4nthers11 said:
How can someone actually think white fragility isn't a thing after watching white America collectively lose its shit over a football player kneeling quietly during the national anthem?
Click to expand...

White america lost its shit? A lot of people didn't like something they felt was disrespectful to the flag (hardly a new phenomenon, surprising, or controversial opinion for people to have) and...what else exactly happened? He's still on the team despite not being remotely good anymore while doing controversial things, and that spot on the team is also thanks to "white america" whatever the fuck that means. Any person who thinks white America "lost its shit" over his protest just because a lot of people didn't like the protest is a decidedly fragile person
 
White people sure have a lot of flaws. Maybe Farrakhan has a point.
 
tintinisahottie said:
White america lost its shit? A lot of people didn't like something they felt was disrespectful to the flag (hardly a new phenomenon, surprising, or controversial opinion for people to have) and...what else exactly happened? He's still on the team despite not being remotely good anymore while doing controversial things, and that spot on the team is also thanks to "white america" whatever the fuck that means. Any person who thinks white America "lost its shit" over his protest just because a lot of people didn't like the protest is a decidedly fragile person
Click to expand...

+1
 
PhDeac said:
Here's the definition of white fragility within the abstract of a paper on the topic. If you want to insert black for white here and find evidence of "black fragility," go right ahead.

http://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/view/249/116

White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress, leading to what I refer to as White Fragility. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium. This paper explicates the dynamics of White Fragility.
Click to expand...

Thanks. The inherent problem with any discussion from the other side of this is that by doing so you are self identifying as someone expressing white fragility.

"White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation."

Arguing, not arguing, leaving the situation are all defined as symptoms of someone with white fragility. What options are there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Wrangor said:
Thanks. The inherent problem with any discussion from the other side of this is that by doing so you are self identifying as someone expressing white fragility.

"White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation."

Arguing, not arguing, leaving the situation are all defined as symptoms of someone with white fragility. What options are there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The only option is to admit your white fragility and white guilt and ask forgiveness for being so white.
 
P4nthers11 said:
You experience the world how you experience it. But what I saw was not mere disagreement. I have not seen such a backlash since Michael Vick killed dogs and Ray Rice knocked his wife out. Whether the backlash observed from media sources was reflective or creative, I cannot say, but I would definitely say that it seemed to me like anger, fear, and discomfort coming from a lot of people.
Click to expand...

Was disgust with Michael Vick and Ray Rice also white fragility?
 
tintinisahottie said:
White america lost its shit? A lot of people didn't like something they felt was disrespectful to the flag (hardly a new phenomenon, surprising, or controversial opinion for people to have) and...what else exactly happened? He's still on the team despite not being remotely good anymore while doing controversial things, and that spot on the team is also thanks to "white america" whatever the fuck that means. Any person who thinks white America "lost its shit" over his protest just because a lot of people didn't like the protest is a decidedly fragile person
Click to expand...

"I'm not fragile, YOU'RE fragile." Dope rebuttal, you're killing it.

The flag is an inanimate piece of fabric. The meaning it has is the meaning that we imbue it with. While many people associate flying the flag with things like freedom or military service, other people, who may or may not be members of historically marginalized groups, may feel that to them it represents something altogether different to them. The zeal to label kneeling during the national anthem as disrespectful of the flag, the military, or America (as opposed to engaging his points on their merits) strikes me as nonsensical.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top