The Workday Reading: August 12
Aug 12, 2015
A few months ago, I decided to post a Workday Reading every day. I’ve enjoyed writing them, but I think the quality of the posts will be better if they appear on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Also, this will free up some time to write more substantive posts.
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1) Don’t hit send; angry e-mails only make you angrier.
2) The Milly Blake Satchel that I am totally obsessed with is more than 50%-off at Nordstrom Rack.
3) Harvard Business Review discusses how to manage people who are smarter than you.
4) This black-and-white French Connection skirt is absolutely gorgeous. For the office, I love the mix of textures on this $79 Calvin Klein skirt.
5) What members of Congress won’t tell you: It’s a pretty crummy job.
6) Ralph Lauren has a flutter sleeve dress that’s perfect for finishing out the summer. Love the print. Also in plus-size.
7) LOL is going extinct, what’s taking its place?
8) This ruched, long-sleeve tee from Dylan Grey is both casual and sexy. This ruched Bailey 44 dress is perfect for a dinner date.
9) The Atlantic discusses college students and their growing sensitivity. Did you know that saying “I think the most qualified person should get the job” is a micro-aggression?
10) This $10 geo-print cosmetic bag is a steal. For the gentleman in your life, this sleek dopp kit.
11) A little bit of kindness for your Wednesday.
*image found here.
I was literally browsing my feed to cool down and keep from sending an angry email. Draft discarded! Thank you!
I love the idea of M, W, F posts. I seriously love reding your articles but I can get a little behind on them. (Hence my comment on a day old post). Thanks for the blog. I love it!!
That Atlantic article is kind of terrible, especially on the topic of microaggressions. He defines them correctly as being not malicious, but the suggests that those who use them are accused of being willfully aggressive. Those who are on the receiving end of microaggressions aren’t stupid. They know when something is willful and when it’s just ignorance showing. He does this while completely dismissing the actual harm caused by microaggressions. People aren’t all of the sudden hurt because we have a name for it now. As someone who has been on the receiving end of a particular type hundreds of times, I can tell you it hurt even before I know what to call it. It’s so similar to the thinking that somehow talking about racism is what makes racism bad. Invalidating my feelings by suggesting that it’s all in my head is infuriating.
Can things get taking to far? Of course. Have they is some cases? I’m sure. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a real thing with real consequences.
I wrote something on this when I was less angry. It’s here: https://badachie.kinja.com/sometimes-microaggressions-arent-so-micro-1719163359
What scares me is not that some things need to be discussed in different way or the needs of some people needs to be taken into account. What scares me is that instead of working to find a balance, schools (mostly out of fear of litigation) are just cutting off the discussion because it’s easier than finding a middle ground. It’s sad.
That Atlantic article really bothered me too. As someone with PTSD I don’t just “believe” things can trigger past trauma, I know it firsthand. It’s not just discomfort, I’ve suffered full-blown panic attacks in school. A trigger warning takes very little effort and can make all the difference. It’s not censorship, it’s just giving people the heads up they need to prepare themselves.
I think a heads up is a good idea, but some of this is just outright censorship. But I had a law school class on violent crime basically gloss over rape crimes in general in five minutes because it might be too hard for some people. Let folks know the discussion will be happening, what it will entail, and if they don’t want to attend for personal reasons (totally understandable) give them an excused absence. The rest of the class needs to have the discussion so that the future prosecutors in the room know what they’re in for.
Love the frequency change!