Poll Question: Diversity....
dstieger
10 years ago
Diversity has been a buzz word for over a generation. Means different things to different people in different contexts, but I suspect that in general, you could get any small group to come up with similar 'definition'....in your opinion is it good or bad?

If its good, is it important enough for society (government?) to try to help accomplish it? If it 'can't be forced', but you think that its good, then how do suggest we accomplish more of it?
If its bad, do we de-emphasize it and/or even support views/policies that could be interpreted as sort of segregationist?
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Gene363
10 years ago
Diversity for sake of diversity is complete nonsense. It really depends on what you are deciding and whom that decision will affect. Way too often decisions are crippled by mandated diversity.

The nonsense? Let's say you need an operation, do you want a review committee that includes all women, all men, LGBT, various races, etc i.e., the nonsense or would you prefer a group of trained and qualified doctors? Now if you want the actual advantage of diversity throw in a nurse, a PA/NP and a medical student.

Now if you are deciding on a new park in town, a cross section of the people that will use the park as well those that are going to actually pay for the new park would be good, but those that pay should have a bigger say than those that receive.

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Buckwheat
10 years ago
I think diversity of ideas is more important than ethnic &/or race diversity. I'm not sure how to get there but we could really use it in these divisive times. We went from; "I disagree with you", to; "I want to kill you" in about 25 years. I guess today's problems were always there and just hadn't surfaced yet. 🌫
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victor809
10 years ago
Would any of you really rather go your whole life only sleeping with blonde white women? Diversity in vag I tell ya.
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victor809
10 years ago
On a more serious note, if all other things are equal, "diversity" provides more options. Just like diversity of genetics provides robustness in the face of microbiological hazards, a diversity of backgrounds (doesn't even need to go as far as race) can provide more than one possible solution to a problem.

The only time I can see that it would be advantageous to have only one solution to a problem is if that's the absolute best solution.... And the only people who usually think that about their solutions are usually very wrong.
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dstieger
10 years ago
I asked because I've been thinking a lot about this lately. Few would argue that diversity is a bad thing...for all the standard reasons of varied viewpoints, innovation, exposure to new ideas, etc. And few can argue intelligently that government involvement in encouraging diversity is generally a good thing....anybody else remember forced busing?

But I am 100% convinced that having more diverse life experiences makes us far more tolerant of and understanding of those that are different. And one thing this country could use right now is some tolerance and even understanding of those that are different. I'm not talking about PC for PC's sake. I'm talking about sanding down some of the rough edges of racism, nationalism, religious intolerance, even, perhaps political 'discourse' by getting past rhetoric and injecting a little understanding. Not touchy-feely empathy or anything of the sort...but respect for differing views and motivations. Spending parts of your life interacting with those you dislike/fear/hate/object to...etc, almost always makes you more understanding and tolerant. I'm not talking about specific individuals...because a dickhead can often become an exceptional dickhead once you get to know them. But as for 'groups', it changes the way a person thinks when they are put in a position to work with, school with, interact with...those that are distinctly different.

I'm a little short on solutions atm, but I'm pretty sure that increased integration would lead to less division, violence, group-think inanity, etc.
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Gene363
10 years ago

On a more serious note, if all other things are equal, "diversity" provides more options. Just like diversity of genetics provides robustness in the face of microbiological hazards, a diversity of backgrounds (doesn't even need to go as far as race) can provide more than one possible solution to a problem.

The only time I can see that it would be advantageous to have only one solution to a problem is if that's the absolute best solution.... And the only people who usually think that about their solutions are usually very wrong.

victor809 wrote:



Great, when you need a medical consort we'll include a faith healer and a healing crystal vibrations expert and an aroma therapist.

On the serious side, it can be helpful to have an outsider's point of view to ask those, "Why are you doing xyz?" questions. Usually management provides that roll, but sometimes they know too much.
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Speyside
10 years ago
I heard a term on the news the other day that made sense the more I thought about it. Racial bias. Meaning at least to me that as a white person, I have an inherent bias towards people that come from a different race, and have very different life experiences.

For example I do not understand what a black man feels when stopped by the police.

It behooves me as an American to understand better, why fellow Americans are hurting so badly, and to help if possible.

I do not see this as being political, it is about being a good human being.
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Gene363
10 years ago

I asked because I've been thinking a lot about this lately. Few would argue that diversity is a bad thing...for all the standard reasons of varied viewpoints, innovation, exposure to new ideas, etc. And few can argue intelligently that government involvement in encouraging diversity is generally a good thing....anybody else remember forced busing?

But I am 100% convinced that having more diverse life experiences makes us far more tolerant of and understanding of those that are different. And one thing this country could use right now is some tolerance and even understanding of those that are different. I'm not talking about PC for PC's sake. I'm talking about sanding down some of the rough edges of racism, nationalism, religious intolerance, even, perhaps political 'discourse' by getting past rhetoric and injecting a little understanding. Not touchy-feely empathy or anything of the sort...but respect for differing views and motivations. Spending parts of your life interacting with those you dislike/fear/hate/object to...etc, almost always makes you more understanding and tolerant. I'm not talking about specific individuals...because a dickhead can often become an exceptional dickhead once you get to know them. But as for 'groups', it changes the way a person thinks when they are put in a position to work with, school with, interact with...those that are distinctly different.

I'm a little short on solutions atm, but I'm pretty sure that increased integration would lead to less division, violence, group-think inanity, etc.

dstieger wrote:



You are correct, people make assumptions, often negative, about people that do not know. I went to junior and senior high school in Azusa, California. The white kids were outnumbered by the latino kids. We all got along pretty well. Here in South Carolina I mentioned that to some locals, both black and white, they were taken aback and asked how I could live around all those hispanics. I said just like we all live here, we get up and all put our pants on one leg at a time. That was about twenty five years ago and they had no frame of reference, today there are latinos living all over South Carolina.

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MACS
10 years ago

But I am 100% convinced that having more diverse life experiences makes us far more tolerant of and understanding of those that are different.

dstieger wrote:



Like serving in the military with every race, color, and creed? Living in foreign countries and actually being the minority?

I agree.

My family does, too, it would seem. White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian... all were accounted for at the 4th of July bash we just had. That's FAMILY, not including friends attending.
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ZRX1200
10 years ago
I'm no fan of forced "diversity" just for the sake of THAT.

Like MACS said the military is a good representation to most what real integration should be like.

Is "diversity" good? Well sure.

But what's been happening is the controlling of language over a period of time paired with social/entertainment conditioning. "Diversity" is largely used as a buzz word for a particular political group as a rallying cry. You could argue the extent but not the truth of it.

I agree with most all of what dstieger and buckwheat said above as well.
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DrafterX
10 years ago
Forced diversity... is that like telling me I have to sell my house to a minority..?? 😕
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Speyside
10 years ago
More like low income housing was built next to your house.
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Buckwheat
10 years ago

I heard a term on the news the other day that made sense the more I thought about it. Racial bias. Meaning at least to me that as a white person, I have an inherent bias towards people that come from a different race, and have very different life experiences.

For example I do not understand what a black man feels when stopped by the police.

It behooves me as an American to understand better, why fellow Americans are hurting so badly, and to help if possible.

I do not see this as being political, it is about being a good human being.

Speyside wrote:



+1

Life is easy if you are just not a dictator. 🌫
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Stinkdyr
10 years ago
Diversity is not a problem.
Welfare breeding is a problem.

🍵
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victor809
10 years ago
Why would welfare breeding come up in a discussion about diversity?
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Brewha
10 years ago

Diversity is not a problem.
Welfare breeding is a problem.

🍵

Stinkdyr wrote:


It is a lack of diversity that CAN be a problem.

But on to the chase - Tell us, oh wise Stikdyr, how to end "welfare breeding".

And while you at it, how do we end coproprate welfare?
The growing wage gap?
Concentration of wealth?


Let me just guess - cutting welfare = equal wealth for Americans...😂
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gary96
10 years ago
In general diversity is good. We put ourselves in a box and we define ourselves by the limits or edges of that box. We view our world by the edges of that box. We solve our problems within the edges of that box. Which is why we keep bringing up "think outside of the box." It opens us up to another set of possible solutions.

Now setting diametrically opposite of diversity is tribalism. Call it whatever you like: tribalism, network, group, team, family, etc. We are social by design and we like being part of a group. The reason for the group can differ and we can belong to different groups at the same time. Heck, this cigar forum is a group, but it could be race, political group, needlepoint club. We like being part of a group. It is pretty much inbred into us. There is safety in numbers, especially when we share the same characteristic. This sense of belonging to the group creates some strange behavior. To maintain the strength of the group, we tend to resist others who do not fit into the group. Sometimes logic is tossed aside for preservation of the group. The desire to maintain the strength of the group also keeps us inside that box that diversity opens up.

Diversity is good. Tribalism is good. Unfortunately, at times either one can be destructive. I will go to the extreme. Do you really think most Jihadist are fighting for Allah...or are they wanting to be part of a group? Fighting strengthens the bond and proves you are part of the group and being part of the group sometimes trumps logic. I think the same is happening with today's protest. If you look at the statistics and think about it logically, you wouldn't be part of a protest, but then you would not be part of the group.

"Facts are sticky things."
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teedubbya
10 years ago
I prefer echo chambers. That's where the most solid ideas arise.
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gary96
10 years ago
Well the chamber would validate the confirmation bias. It doesn't so well with facts, but it is great for opinions and beliefs.

Is that like talking to yourself so you hear great advice?
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