• MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Downplaying someones’ struggles because you assume you have it worse is absolutely a form of gatekeeping. Dismissing someones’ feelings simply because they don’t rise to the bar of your criteria is like … the EXACT situation of non-literal gatekeeping…

    • Alteon@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, I’m not disagreeing with that. It just feels like it’s a weird strawman argument to have. I’ve literally never seen anyone ever dismiss how tired someone was because they don’t have kids. That’s literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s like a made-up boogieman to feel righteous against.

      • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        If you’ve never heard it then you’ve never socialized with many parents. Even excellent parents say it jokingy from time to time.

        The opposite is a single person gloating about having money or free time instead of kids. Is it common? No. Though it does crop up in the real world, and in similar situations: as a snarky retort to hearing someone complain.

        • Alteon@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Yes, jokingly or even maybe conversationally as something to keep smalltalk going. I’ve never once seen any one ever use it as “gatekeeping”, which is the whole point I’m trying to make. It’s a strawman argument so that the OP could feel validated by “vindicating” tired people from those evil, gatekeeping parental units. It’s a ridiculous post against something entirely farcical.

          • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Gatekeeping is keeping anyone out of the gate. You can absolutely casually swat someone away in the middle of a conversation. Gatekeeping doesn’t have to be an adversarial interaction.