Woman: So when you’re not swiping, what do you do?
Men 1-7: It sounds weird, but I’m really into WAR! … Christoph Waltz was sooo creepy as Hans Landa! You have to see it! … so each week both uncredentialled “historians” talk about their favorite times when thousands of men stabbed or shot each other! … and then the good guy took his gun-knife and started prying teeth and slicing ears off the dead guys… literally an entire generation of men was decimated or psychologically damaged… But [Game of Thrones/The Walking Dead/Band of Brothers] is my go-to. What do you watch?
Woman: Mostly cartoons.
More seriously, I’d guess that many, maybe even most people have some level of morbid fascination with the type of violent, high stakes scenarios that people they identify with have been subject to. It’s just kind of weird not to acknowledge that a lot of basically well-adjusted men (I flatter myself that I’m in that group) are into stuff that’s objectively terrifying.
I’m only interested in the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius because of his meditations. The things he wrote down for just himself to see are some of the most humbling passages I’ve ever come across. The exception to the rule that absolute power corrupts absolutely. A god to his people who paid a peasant to whisper in his ear to remind him he was just a man. Rome experienced a time of peace and prosperity under his rule without needless wars of conquest.
He was a good man and I aspire to be more like him.
I’m pretty sad Rome got co opted to be like a weird right ideology. I read the Percy Jackson books growing up so I’ve always been fascinated with ancient Greece and Rome.
Oppressive military dictatorship that really likes their military is idolized by wannabe oppressive military dictators who really like their millitary? Who’d have thought?
Oh, also the deep ties to cristianity and fascism. Inquisitions and crusades are exactly the legacy they’re after.
I suppose that’s fair, but there are a number of alarming things done in the name of the empire, especially after it fell. The whole latin influence on Europe was a net negative in my opinion. However, I can agree that blaming them for what happened later is a bit harsh.
Socialism is at some point on the scale of private property is collectively managed, therefore advancing towards a classless society. A society with slaves, by definition, cannot be socialist.
Or, in other words, between that and literally everything else about Rome, only a real clown of a person would say something like “Rome was more socialist than any modern society”
My interest in war is that there is nothing higher stakes, it can be a fight for the survival of not just yourself but your family, community, or nation, or even our species if we are talking fiction (or global warming).
So if we were to stereotype the genders, men are typically more interested in death/violence at a humanitary level and women at a personal level.
You go into it thinking that, but then when the deification hits the oscillation, it ends up being about two things: 1) your own ass and 2) your battle buddies you deployed with.
Yeah I wasn’t talking about either scenario from a participatory POV. Moreso speaking to the general interest.
You can be interested in something without wishing for it or wanting to participate. I’m sure women who listen to serial killer podcasts don’t want to be featured in one.
Point of order. What credentials do you need to talk about history? Is there, like, a history license I don’t know about? Or are you just talking about a particular degree?
I think people are interested with the extremes of the human experience in general because that’s where the toughest choices and emotions come to light
More seriously, I’d guess that many, maybe even most people have some level of morbid fascination with the type of violent, high stakes scenarios that people they identify with have been subject to. It’s just kind of weird not to acknowledge that a lot of basically well-adjusted men (I flatter myself that I’m in that group) are into stuff that’s objectively terrifying.
You forgot to mention the Roman Empire
I’m only interested in the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius because of his meditations. The things he wrote down for just himself to see are some of the most humbling passages I’ve ever come across. The exception to the rule that absolute power corrupts absolutely. A god to his people who paid a peasant to whisper in his ear to remind him he was just a man. Rome experienced a time of peace and prosperity under his rule without needless wars of conquest.
He was a good man and I aspire to be more like him.
I’m pretty sad Rome got co opted to be like a weird right ideology. I read the Percy Jackson books growing up so I’ve always been fascinated with ancient Greece and Rome.
Rome was think with right wing ideology for much of it’s history.
A great deal of our understanding of fascism in the modern area comes from Roman histories
Oppressive military dictatorship that really likes their military is idolized by wannabe oppressive military dictators who really like their millitary? Who’d have thought?
Oh, also the deep ties to cristianity and fascism. Inquisitions and crusades are exactly the legacy they’re after.
I’ll shit talk the Empire all day but the Inquisitions and Crusades aren’t on them.
I suppose that’s fair, but there are a number of alarming things done in the name of the empire, especially after it fell. The whole latin influence on Europe was a net negative in my opinion. However, I can agree that blaming them for what happened later is a bit harsh.
Said oppressive military dictatorship was also way more socialist than anything we have today.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Rome
Not sure what the point of linking a Wikipedia page for a basic fact everyone learns in 3rd grade is.
Socialism is at some point on the scale of private property is collectively managed, therefore advancing towards a classless society. A society with slaves, by definition, cannot be socialist.
Which did happen for pretty much every society pre-capitalism… which includes Rome.
Or, in other words, between that and literally everything else about Rome, only a real clown of a person would say something like “Rome was more socialist than any modern society”
My interest in war is that there is nothing higher stakes, it can be a fight for the survival of not just yourself but your family, community, or nation, or even our species if we are talking fiction (or global warming).
So if we were to stereotype the genders, men are typically more interested in death/violence at a humanitary level and women at a personal level.
You go into it thinking that, but then when the deification hits the oscillation, it ends up being about two things: 1) your own ass and 2) your battle buddies you deployed with.
Definitely adding “when the deification hits the oscillation” to my vernacular.
Yeah I wasn’t talking about either scenario from a participatory POV. Moreso speaking to the general interest.
You can be interested in something without wishing for it or wanting to participate. I’m sure women who listen to serial killer podcasts don’t want to be featured in one.
I was, but it was more wanting to share something about the experience rather than start a fight about it.
My apologies if it read that way.
Oh yeah, I was just clarifying my original position. I appreciate your insight.
Wow what a polite exchange on an often hot button topic!
Lemmy is wild. It’s like seeing old forums or IRC again.
You didn’t have to call me out like that
Point of order. What credentials do you need to talk about history? Is there, like, a history license I don’t know about? Or are you just talking about a particular degree?
I think people are interested with the extremes of the human experience in general because that’s where the toughest choices and emotions come to light
Exactly
Dan Carlin??
Yep! When he said that it made a lot of genres make sense