• jbrains@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    Any person unsure about their safety sitting next to a stranger with no options for escape. I wouldn’t feel particularly comfortable in such a situation.

    UPDATE: I don’t understand the downvotes. I have read many comments saying similar things in response to the story: give this man the benefit of the doubt, not every behavior is mansplaining, you’re all judgmental and jumping to harsh conclusions, and so on.

    I used to be in that chorus until my wife explained to me one thing: when the cost of failure is high enough, constant vigilance and suspicion is necessary for protection and maybe even survival. And I could either accept that or not.

    It felt grim and I felt disappointed by the whole conundrum, but I had to accept it as it is. From there, my view of these kinds of situations changed.