, 4 tweets, 3 min read Read on Twitter
An astonishing but now familiar set of developments (with all sorts of new “word crimes,” like not being able to refer to “pregnant women” in a biology class) taking place at @WilliamsCollege, even abetted by some faculty (and, I’m sure, bureaucrats). whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/a-w…
Students and faculty @WilliamsCollege see “violent racism” in all sorts of places. An incredible update. whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2019/05/08/wil… This has the features of “mass psychogenic illness” (which used to be called “mass hysteria”), the treatment of which is in the next reference.
It is very difficult to confront epidemics of emotionality (MPI) because no one wants to be seen as not taking underlying threats seriously. But some actions are actually harmful. This is an old problem, with a long history among human beings, discussed in 2009 in @connected_book
The optimal, CDC-recommended treatment for MPI is "calm and authoritative reassurance," and some (not all) of these principles could be useful here. A good review is here: citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/downlo…
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