You might want to add (1.5) also evaluate whether what’s going on is that some group of people wants to be referred to differently, and then (2′) generally don’t resist in that case even if no harm is apparent, because (a) maybe there’s harm you haven’t noticed and (b) giving people what they want is usually good. I’d certainly be on board with that. (I suspect Scott would too.)
I think this is pretty much my argument. I think Scott wouldn’t agree because he wrote:
On the other hand, the people who want to be the first person in a new cascade, like USC’s social work department, are contemptible. And the people who join when it’s only reached 1% or 5%, out of enthusiastic conformity or pre-emptive fear, are pathetic.
(none of this applies to things being done for good reasons—banning actually harmful things—I’m just skeptical that this process gets used for that very often)
I don’t think those paragraphs indicate that Scott wouldn’t agree. (I don’t know for sure that he would agree either, but I don’t think those paragraphs tell us much.)
I think this is pretty much my argument. I think Scott wouldn’t agree because he wrote:
I don’t think those paragraphs indicate that Scott wouldn’t agree. (I don’t know for sure that he would agree either, but I don’t think those paragraphs tell us much.)