new thread
Thought of something after talking to a co-worker today. He had just gotten a cut, his hair is pretty thick and was getting a little "shaggy". After asking him if he got it cut I told him that he should grow his hair out because he has great hair and it would look awesome. That's when it hit me -- is telling someone with short hair that they should grow it out the same as someone telling us to get a hair cut? =O We know how frustrating that can be, so I'm wondering if it works both ways! :P
For the record, after I mentioned it to him, he said that he used to have it really long, about waist-length but cut it a while back. He's Japanese so that would have been a pretty cool sight to see! Another co-worker told me that he was working here while it was long.
I don't believe that it would be the same, only because there are too many stereotypes about guys with long hair. Short hair is considered the "norm" in this society.
While I follow your logic, it is still pushing your beliefs and desires on another no matter what the intention or the stereotypes involved.
All I know is that when I had short hair and people asked me to grow it, that did not insult me at all. I think another factor is that longs hairs are asked more often to cut it than short hairs are asked to grow it.
I agree with you. It's their choice to grow their hair out or not. Honestly, Isn't one of the reason's we grow our hair out to stand out? Not be a follower but more a leader? Then why tell everyone that they should grow their hair yet. Then before you know it, we are all sheep nose to butt in the pen again.
If people like it short, more power to them. However, Don't tell me to cut it and I won't tell you to grow it long. What works for one person won't always work for another.
What this world needs is not a my way of life is better, just a understand that we are all different and that's okay! That's what makes us, well, us!
"While I follow your logic, it is still pushing your beliefs and desires on another no matter what the intention or the stereotypes involved."
It's not pushing anything. It's offering free choice which one may or may not accept. Anyhow better way of using one's liberty than taking drugs and getting drunk as a ladder. And, even if it may occasionally take the form of pushing after all, are longhairs condemned to stay silent, defenseless, and cutely smiled while the 90% of shorthaired people mistreat and discriminate us?
...I think 90% is a bit high, but it may just be my part of the world. Here, I would say it's more like 5 or 10% of shorthairs have a serious problem, about 40% disagree with males having longhair but don't say anything and the rest don't really care at all.
But, I agree completely that we should not stay silent, defenseless and smile cutely (lol) when being mistreated. They have a name for those people... wussies! While I would take up for a wussie that just stands there and takes it, the same wussie would then attack me for taking up for him. I've had it happen, it's just stupid and I will never understand them.
There is one positive thing that comes from defending yourself (verbally or physically, if needed), they will think twice before bothering you again. It does not "bring you down to their level", because you don't go around attacking those you see as weak. If you notice, those type personalities never confront someone who would present a challenge to them.
Paul
" ...I think 90% is a bit high, but it may just be my part of the world. Here, I would say it's more like 5 or 10% of shorthairs have a serious problem, about 40% disagree with males having longhair but don't say anything and the rest don't really care at all."
Very analytical and true statement, and one of the "sour truths" in my case, unfortunately. My father and brother are obviously part of that 5 or 10%.
"If you notice, those type personalities never confront someone who would present a challenge to them."
That could, in my opinion, extend to virtually all fights/duels/verbal accusations. All "attackers" and "the first hitters" make the assault on the basis of some clandestine sort of cowardice. E.g. a person 'A' may challenge and physically attack a person 'B' because 'A' is convinced that 'B' is inferior to him in either physical strength, or knowledge of martial skills, or, unlike 'A', has no weapons or no defenders... Rarely do attackers start a fight with someone for whom they know he's really a challenge, more often than not they help themselves with the fact that their victims have some weak points that they don't, that is, they have some advantages that their victims don't.
History is plenty of such examples. E.g. why did Hitler accuse and attack the Jews whose nation was the poorest one in the world (a paraphrase from an encyclopedy by M. Perry I read a year ago for an exam of mine) and not some much mightier country?
Actually, at the time Hitler began his anti-Semitic campaigns, the Jews had no country, they lived in virtually every nation, including Germany. Israel wasn't founded until 1948.
Then how come an American historian Marvin Perry calls Jews "the weakest of nations" in the time when Hitler was about to start the war?
I'm not excluding the possibility that I may believe the wrong sources, though.
Well, not having a country to call your own certainly doesn't put you at the top of the charts...
However, what I think he meant is something more along the lines of "weakest of peoples" as opposed to actual nation-states.
That was how I read Nicola's comment, nation has different meanings and Nicola didn't say "poorest of countries" So his quote and meaning were accurate as I read it.
Kevin
True, it's somewhat of a "six of one, half-dozen of the other" situation. Besides, we've drifted WAAAAAAAYYY off topic, so 'nuff said.
It's not the same thing at all. First off longhairs don't make up rules about hair length. Just something about growing it out is not derogatory. Most comments from the short haired about us is. Most of us simply wish they're were more longhaired. Many of them try to force their so-called "standards" on us.
The very fact that you even considered how he might feel is something most of the hair intolerant don't do.
Paul
I think it's different for a different reason. Cutting our hair is a loss of progress, whereas if a short haired person grows it out they can have their short hair back in a single trip to the barber's.
Excellent point. When asked to cut our hair, it is like months or years of progress lost. Asking someone to grow it does not and it is a quick remedy if they don't want it anymore.
Merely telling him that he looks good with long hair or urging him to grow it out is not the same as imposing on him.
I wouldn't bother. I try not to tell others what they should or shouldn't do unless asked.
Kevin
I don't think so...I occasionally say something about it,most of the time I only say something to former longhairs(its like arguing with a brick wall)
I'm not a people person so small talk just doesn't happen with me much.
Mike
"...most of the time I only say something to former longhairs(its like arguing with a brick wall)"
Huh, tell ME about it! Former longhairs arguably had the most hair-naziish comments I've heard in my life. God, do I hate such levels of hypocrisy!
I hate it when strangers say, I used to have hair that long." I ask for pictures.
I've saw quite a few people I used to hang out with that used to wear their hair long. One of 'em told me, "if you ever cut it you'll never grow it back." Every time I see him I keep saying "damn, I can't believe you cut your hair" to the point of being obnoxious.
Paul