Tone argument
| “ | But anger is valid. Anger is valid, anger is important, anger brings social change, anger makes people listen, anger is threatening, and anger is passion. Anger is NOT counterproductive; being “nice” is counterproductive. Nobody was ever given rights by politely asking for them. Politeness is nothing but a set of behavioral expectations that is enforced upon marginalized people. | ” |
—tooyoungforthelivingdead[1] | ||
Oppressed people are angry for a reason.
The tone argument (also known as tone/language policing) is a tactic used by concern trolls to derail or silence an argument. The tone of the argument is independent of the points being raised. It draws attention to the tone of the argument or article as opposed to the actual points.
Contents
How it is used
Example 1
| Person A: "MRAs are fucking misogynists because of X, Y, and Z."
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Example 2
| Person A: "Die cis scum!"
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Other common phrases
- "You'll catch more flies with honey"
- "You're being overemotional"[2]
- "You are damaging your cause by being angry"[3]
- "Hate breeds more hate"
See also
External Links
- Geek Feminism Wiki - Tone Argument
- The Privilege of Politeness, by naamenblog
- The tone argument, by abagond
- Fuck the (Tone) Police: Why Men Can Stop Telling Me Not to Be Emotional About Feminist Issues, by Sara Luckey
- Language Police, by 101: Are you a Racist?, on Tumblr
- A Freshly-Hatched Tone Argument, by fannie
- On Tone Policing: Why It's Bullshit And Why You Need To Stop, by NinjaCate
- Train Wrecks: Derailing with the Tone Argument and “Free Speech”, by bunnika
- Tone Argument, by the Queer Dictionary on Tumblr
- The Tone Police, "Chronicling all the times where using the "right tone" went horribly wrong. Proving that a "civil tone" rarely results in a civil discussion"[4]
References
- ↑ This is a post about tone policing, by tooyoungforthelivingdead
- ↑ Derail Using Emotion, Derailing For Dummies
- ↑ Derail Using Anger, Derailing For Dummies
- ↑ The Tone Police, on Tumblr