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What do you define as objectifying a person?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Straight ally, Apr 6, 2014.

  1. Straight ally

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    I have seen many variety of what people consider objectifying.

    Some think watching porn, others think going to a sex worker, others that having intimacy outside a serious relationship or marriage, others don't even consider objectifying a thing, others on the opposite extreme consider that any sexual interaction that isn't for procreative purposes is objectifying, others consider that as long as you know the other person is a person and you take in consideration others feelings you are not objectifying.

    What about you? Explain your point if you must, share your thoughts, and respects others views.

    ---------- Post added 6th Apr 2014 at 10:32 AM ----------

    Hope you enjoy the discussion, i will be creating others thread to discuss interesting topics :slight_smile:
     
  2. Hexagon

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    Generally speaking, I suppose I'd consider it only valuing a person (or more likely, a group of people) for their sexual appeal. I wouldn't think of anything you mentioned as being objectifying. I mean, no one is denying that people experience sexual attraction, or saying that it's immoral to be attracted to someone. But it's when that is their only value to you.

    Taking the term literally, objectifying means making someone into an object, therefore stripping them of personhood. That seems to me a pretty accurate description.
     
    #2 Hexagon, Apr 6, 2014
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  3. Kasey

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    Any obsession like "chasers" in the transgender community.

    Or this...

    [​IMG]

    Because that's clearly how men and women are supposed to be.

    Treating people as sex symbols to the point of idolizing them invariably leads to an unrealistic self image for much of the population.

    I dunno those two things seem to get to me.
     
  4. Saint Otaku

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    I think the term "objectifying" is thrown around and used incorrectly far too often. I, being egocentric, and the "subject" from my perspective, and all the other things I interact with are "objects." So people are correct in saying porn and such is objectifying, but realistically this is an obvious and natural fact, for people are objects no matter the interaction.

    A more dire problem would be "dehumanization." This is a difficult topic, as it brings up problematic questions such as "What makes one 'human?'" and "What could cause someone to lose this aspect of 'humanity?'" For example, if one says "Pornography is dehumanizing," then they would have to state what is dehumanizing about pornography. One could list many reasons, such as "It is wrong to make money off of sex." Still, proposing reasons such as this only leads to more questions that would invariably ensnare one in a net of moral fallacy. The problem with such moral rationales is that they are often lacking in evidence and driven by a very specialized ideology, begging the question and making logical loops.

    I myself tend to believe in a strict social contract, and the age-old law known as--among others--"The Golden Rule."
     
    #4 Saint Otaku, Apr 6, 2014
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  5. Argentwing

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    Its meaning is very simple: seeing somebody as a tool/toy for your pleasure rather than respecting them as a person. It has many faces, but as long as you acknowledge that they too have likes, dislikes, dreams, and rights, then you're good.
     
  6. Straight ally

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    This is too my position, only thing i add is: once you acknowledge that with you mentioned, is mandatory to act conciously about ones action, making sure to not damage the other person. I add this puntualization cause, acknowlodgin is not, some people might acknowledge and still not care and do things just for their own means not matter who gets hurt. But yes, what you said is the first step, becuase once you understand a person is a person is a lot easier to refrain from vausing any trouble to others... I mean, in an extreme case of objectification realityy would become the same as a virtual world, and so the person would live in a solipist state where they treat others the same way we treat NPCs in video games.

    I think a corolary to the golden rule would be... Dont treat others as you treat passerbies in 'Grand thef auto' :lol:
     
  7. Jinkies

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    Awwww, so it's not good to run them over with a Rolls Royce again and again? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    Still, I agree with the above comments. Objectifying someone is treating them like an object that you own instead of treating them like another one of you, basically.

    Just recently, I was objectified by someone who wanted to have sex with me because I'm gay. How do I know this? Because he asked the question and then stated it being a driving factor. I kept telling him "no" while stating my relationship with my boyfriend runs pretty fucking deep, and he kept giving me excuses to not respect that. He had no respect for my emotions. He certainly had no respect for my relationship. He had no respect for my rights as a human being. All he had some sort of respect for was what was between my legs, and that's still debatable. I don't feel like I was treated like another one of his kind. I feel like I was treated like a tool that he was using for his own sexual pleasure.

    That is what objectifying is. And that is why it is evil and should be eradicated from humanity.
     
  8. Axxel

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    Objectifying to me is literally viewing someone as an object - disregarding their personality, preferences, thoughts, feelings, individuality, rights, identity, etc.
     
  9. Agaetis Byrjun

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    Rude straight men who used to call me "sexy" or "sweetheart" or "beautiful" or whatever back when I had to walk to work. Seriously offensive. And I can't "take it as a compliment" either, that's insulting too. Like I wanted to tell them, you don't know me, you don't know anything about me. I could be asexual, I could be bitter and nasty, they have no idea. It was the most empowering experience ever when I shouted back at one of them that it's completely nothing. It still makes me angry to think about this.