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Man who spent three years screaming “Lock Her Up!” suddenly against the criminalisation of politicians (newsthump.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 124 points 5 months ago (2 children)

nods and sighs

Every time someone unironically asks me to define fairness, I explain that whatever they think someone else deserves has to be something they themselves would accept happening to them for being guilty of the same thing. It's terrifying how many adults either stare at me blankly or are outright hostile towards such a thought exercise.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I think most people maintain an illusion of themselves being infallible, and that any mistake they might make is only ever going to be harmless or innocent.

So the sticking point there isn't even that the punishment needs to fit the crime, even if they were the criminal, but rather the idea of them having to think of themselves as being in any way malicious, if only hypothetically.

Nevermind that there is malice in all humans, and that it is also possible to commit crime/evil without malice.

Most people who haven't contemplated the matter much, seem to knee-jerk themselves into two conflicting positions, at the same time.

They did evil, therefore they are evil, and deserve the worst thing I can imagine.

And

I am not evil, even if I do evil it will never be intentional, therefore I deserve no punishment and will never receive any. Any punishment I receive is undeserved and unfair.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

I don't think I've ever been asked to define fairness. Lol

Apparently this person gets asked that both ironically and unironically. So like every day they're having to explain to people what fairness is. Hmm.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's probably not in those terms. The phrasing "what sounds fair to you" seems like a reasonable thing to ask.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Sure, but that sounds like a different question to me. The original question sounding philosophical, whereas yours sounds contextually specific

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago

Maybe they create these scenarios by talking about fairness a lot.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Happens to me everytime in my made up scenarios

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

And then everyone claps right?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

I prefer getting hundreds