Comments on: polygamists and people’s Fascination with Other’s Pain http://blogwarts.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/polygamists-and-peoples-fascination-with-others-pain/ Where Muggles Meet Magic and all Spells Break Loose Sat, 27 Dec 2008 23:26:19 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: lucienlachance http://blogwarts.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/polygamists-and-peoples-fascination-with-others-pain/#comment-99 lucienlachance Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:25:43 +0000 http://blogwarts.wordpress.com/?p=31#comment-99 There is definitely a public fascination with others' misery. It's like when they talk about a rape story and they start going into detail...why in all hell do we need to know what was done? Are we that desperate to hear about someone else's suffering? Then you get events like Columbine or Virginia Tech where they plaster the gunman all over the front of newspapers as though they are the new "in" rockstars. I tend to think of it all sort of like how people react to a really dramatic movie. Some character is in this horrible situation, maybe they die, and by the end of the movie people suddenly feel great because realization strikes: "YES!!! That didn't happen to me personally!". Yes, yes, it was dreadful, but they're still safe at home on their sofa. Really, I think that's the public view. I can't speak for them of course, but this is my guess. Also there seems to be a primal connection to violence for any animal, humans included. I think this whole love of violence (especially in news where people know it's the REAL thing), stems from that as well as the sense of relief that it didn't happen to them in particular. Honestly I see nothing wrong with living a different lifestyle than what is traditional. I mean, if 10 people want to get married to each other, then why not? I have no right to tell them otherwise. As long as they are all happy with the arrangement then I can see nothing but good coming of it. But I am against anything that isn't consensual. Kids being forced into marriage, or even adults, or rape, or anything of that nature is absolutely wrong in my eyes. There's nothing more pathetic than feeding on those weaker than you.... It's unfortunate that the media is constantly showing the so-called "weird" beliefs in such a negative light. There are pleny of people in plural marriages who enjoy and benefit from it and who aren't in any way abused. And one note to the media who continually prove their stupidity with their complete lack of knowledge about what they are talking about: IT'S POLYGYNY NOT POLYGAMY. Polygamy just means plural marriage in general. Specifically if it's one man and more than one woman: Polygyny. If it's one woman and more than one man: Polyandry. Sorry, that's just been annoying me like crazy.... There is definitely a public fascination with others’ misery. It’s like when they talk about a rape story and they start going into detail…why in all hell do we need to know what was done? Are we that desperate to hear about someone else’s suffering? Then you get events like Columbine or Virginia Tech where they plaster the gunman all over the front of newspapers as though they are the new “in” rockstars.

I tend to think of it all sort of like how people react to a really dramatic movie. Some character is in this horrible situation, maybe they die, and by the end of the movie people suddenly feel great because realization strikes: “YES!!! That didn’t happen to me personally!”. Yes, yes, it was dreadful, but they’re still safe at home on their sofa. Really, I think that’s the public view. I can’t speak for them of course, but this is my guess.

Also there seems to be a primal connection to violence for any animal, humans included. I think this whole love of violence (especially in news where people know it’s the REAL thing), stems from that as well as the sense of relief that it didn’t happen to them in particular.

Honestly I see nothing wrong with living a different lifestyle than what is traditional. I mean, if 10 people want to get married to each other, then why not? I have no right to tell them otherwise. As long as they are all happy with the arrangement then I can see nothing but good coming of it. But I am against anything that isn’t consensual. Kids being forced into marriage, or even adults, or rape, or anything of that nature is absolutely wrong in my eyes. There’s nothing more pathetic than feeding on those weaker than you….

It’s unfortunate that the media is constantly showing the so-called “weird” beliefs in such a negative light. There are pleny of people in plural marriages who enjoy and benefit from it and who aren’t in any way abused.

And one note to the media who continually prove their stupidity with their complete lack of knowledge about what they are talking about: IT’S POLYGYNY NOT POLYGAMY. Polygamy just means plural marriage in general. Specifically if it’s one man and more than one woman: Polygyny. If it’s one woman and more than one man: Polyandry. Sorry, that’s just been annoying me like crazy….

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