Noodling

...inspired by a comment in teal7's journal. Not an attempt at indirect communication with anyone.

Many people claim, when they choose something that maps to conventional social values, that it's their personal decision and conventional social values have little or nothing to do with it.

I apply a simple test for that. I believe that it's possible for something to be really a personal decision not intensely influenced by conventional social values when there's actually some variety in people's choices around the issue.

So for example I believe "I want to be monogamous" or "I want to be polyamorous" can be a personal decision, because I know people who think both ways. I believe "I want shorter hair" and "I want longer hair" can be a personal decision because I know people who want both.

( the rest of this message discusses the desire for weight loss in this context )

Noodling

...inspired by a comment in teal7's journal. Not an attempt at indirect communication with anyone.

Many people claim, when they choose something that maps to conventional social values, that it's their personal decision and conventional social values have little or nothing to do with it.

I apply a simple test for that. I believe that it's possible for something to be really a personal decision not intensely influenced by conventional social values when there's actually some variety in people's choices around the issue.

So for example I believe "I want to be monogamous" or "I want to be polyamorous" can be a personal decision, because I know people who think both ways. I believe "I want shorter hair" and "I want longer hair" can be a personal decision because I know people who want both.

( the rest of this message discusses the desire for weight loss in this context )