And that question is: did the person who posted these signs really think about what she was doing? I’m going to assume it was a she.
Am I supposed to read this straight across from left to right? Or each sign on its own? pic.twitter.com/jQvnEI5UKM
— Dan Broadbent (@aSciEnthusiast) August 24, 2017
I keep imagining the story behind these signs. It’s probably some well-meaning SJW type, or an overly earnest do-gooder. She just wants to make people feel better, like they matter, because truly in her heart of hearts she just loves every everybody in the whole wide world. And that guy had these signs left over from the last protest and let’s put them out on the fence for the whole world to see and remember that they are loved.
When earnestness overtakes logistics: a cautionary tale.
Maybe it doesn’t matter how you read it or how it was intended, but what really matters is which message you take away, like the pithy saying version of a rorschach test, or that old lady/young lady illusion drawing (personally I usually see the young lady).
It’s a good reminder, at least, that 1. despite our best intentions, what we intend to communicate doesn’t always come across, and 2. people can look at exactly the same thing and come to two (or possibly more) completely contradictory conclusions about it.
People usually see exactly what they want to see. No more, no less.
That makes it difficult to assess real, true judgements of things, because I see what I want to see just as much as everybody else, despite the fact that I endeavor to see things as they really are.
On the other hand, we can use it to our advantage, like creating and exploiting a good reputation.
Just bear in mind that there will always be someone who comes along and reads side-to-side instead of up and down.
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