Classical mythology too "triggering" for college

http://reason.com/blog/2015/05/12/trigger-warning-mythology

How mentally fragile are these people? Should society make more of an effort to white-wash everything we do/say as to not in anyway ever make a person uncomfortable? At what point do we say that a person who can't even hear thousands year old stories about make believe gods that just maybe they are being a baby?

Does it give you some extra rights or priviligies if you say something triggers you?

In the colleges/universities I attended, they'd force her to drop the course if she can't handle it. A number of the professors were from Japan and China. They don't put up with this crap.

Yeah it makes them more susceptible to my punches. This triggered thing has blown up way too much. It's like everyone's got an Alarm switch on their heads which goes randomly like they're a robit.

"some of the myths Ovid recounts involve sexual violence. Zeus' daughter Persephone (aka Prosperina), for instance, is kidnapped, raped, and taken as a bride by Hades"

Ah, now it all makes sense...

Christ I don't get people today. Some would get triggered by their own fuckin' shadow.

Universities/Collages should start giving 500$ "Drama Queen" fines.

I highly doubt that anyone is triggerd by such, if they are they are not mentally fit to take an education but should rather get some professional help.

Better yet, perhaps it is time we make it manditory that every student were required to live in the wild for a few weeks, and live off what they can hunt and gather. Life is not as clean and forgiving as these people seem to think. Honestly makes me sick.

Cry babies.

It's actually hard for me to find a good book on Greek Mythology, I've checked all of my libraries. Always wanted to study it. Read a lot of Norse.

Tough fucking shit. Stop pandering to these super sensitive little shits.

Our vision for this training is not to infringe upon the instructors’ academic freedom in teaching the material. Rather, it is a means of providing them with effective strategies to engage with potential conflicts and confrontations in the classroom, whether they are between students or in response to the material itself. Given these tools, professors will be able to aid in the inclusion of student voices which presently feel silenced.

I'm struggling to see the issue here but alas, I don't tend to complain about shit that has 0 impact on my life.

Well you you do tend to passive-aggressively comment on threads that obviously annoy you, and those too have 0 impact on your life.

Anyways regarding the snippit you quoted it's classic limped-wristed SJW double speak. Eve on it's face it's ridiculous...it's merely the words from a make-friggin-believe-mythology-story the idea that there even needs to be training to protect completely fragile people from it is frankly pathetic.

What I find funny is this girl takes an issue with sexual violence being talked about in her mythology class and texts. What's funny about that is those that play on that they are the most offended by the subject of rape probably talk about rape and sexual violence incessantly. If anything she was probably in here element during those parts of the class.

"Hey Suzie, how are you today?"

"Oh, okay I guess, trying not to get raped in public and all."

"Yeah, I hear you girl, I could feel guys raping me with their eyes all the way to class today."

"You go to that party last week."

"Yeah, some breeder had the audacity to say 'hello' to me. He was like trying the 'aren't we in a class together' rape tactic."

"Pig. They should all be castrated."

"Yeah, so like, I'm on my way to class now, and this professor has us reading this stuff in my classical mythology class, and there's like rape in it and stuff "

"Eww, like doesn't he know that talk about rape makes women really uncomfortable?"

"I know right, I hate talking about rape. He's like raping my mind in that class. Fucking rape culture."

I am really starting to think humanity needs to be purged.

I tried a similar argument when finals rolled around but it didn't work.

Nah, we just have to purged the dumb paper-thin skinned shitheads who think the rest of the world needs to bend backwards to prevent them from being exposed to "sensitive" matters as if problems didn't or shouldn't exist.

The only silver lining in all of this is that it was a classical mythology course. Had it been someone asking a chemistry or thermodynamics professor to be sensitive about combustion because they lost a relative in a fire I'd be a lot more prone to flip my table than just shake my head like I'm doing now.

@N30F3N1X: The thing that annoys me the most is that they expect everyone else to follow their line of thinking. Also when things start getting censored or changed to cator to a small group of whiny bitches yet everyone else who had no problem with the content has no say in the matter.

You see, I'm very curious to know how these people are going to handle the future.

It's clear from the fact you're using dumb terms like "SJW" unironically that you don't actually want to have a serious and honest discussion about this. Way to poison the well from the very start.

Also, this is pretty much the same as ratings on films and video games only now it's for books. They all give you a vague idea beforehand of what type of subject matter is in the media you are consuming. Again, don't see the problem here.

Sorry, but you started out with a passive aggressive comment clearly mocking the thread...you poisoned it from the start. How dishonest of you...seriously.

And no, it's more encompassing than a mere warning anyways. That alone is silly too in a college setting. Should history classes have warnings that there will be coverage of warfare, racism, and other historical issues? How sheltered and feeble minded are these people that they need these kinds of warnings? It's ridiculous...these are adults not children.

Don't play FPS, might be too "triggering" for our violent tendencies.

Yeah. There is absolutely no problem. It's not like the material is being banned or something. The anger ITT just the typical immaturity and insensitivity that I've come to expect from this forum.

Actually no, it's also being discussed which parts to teach and which not to based on the importance of the sections vs the chance it will trigger some mental weakling. I don't think this will go very far anyways, the whole situation is ridiculous. If this woman was so scared of a myth being read aloud that she literally felt scarred for her safety she doesn't need trigger warnings, she needs immediate and intense psycho therapy. Being afraid for your safety when no actual threat exists is mental illness.

You're right though, I don't have an ounce of sensitivity for these special snowflakes that get scared over readings of mythological (ie FAKE) tales.

FYI: Being so hostile towards people who have been sexually assaulted is a pretty bad look. You're being callous for no good reason. Calling a rape survivor a mental weakling is not really acceptable.

Yes, traumatic experiences such as rape can cause mental issues, but the solution is surely not to berate rape survivors for feeling severe discomfort about graphic accounts of rape; these accounts being fictional does not change that. Furthermore, one can still teach the material but teach it in such a way as to be sensitive to these kind of circumstances.

No different then people trying to use Offense taken like it's a statement worth respecting or giving any credence to. It's pathetic. Some where along the line people started wearing ignorance as a badge, Offense as their hat of honor, and now "Triggers" As their pocket hanky. Seems people are getting dumber in areas they shouldn't be and smarter in ones that have zero meaning or actual weight in the world. I'm look at your twitter or what ever other 5000 apps just like you are doing.

During the week spent on Ovid’s "Metamorphoses," the class was instructed to read the myths of Persephone and Daphne, both of which include vivid depictions of rape and sexual assault. As a survivor of sexual assault, the student described being triggered while reading such detailed accounts of rape throughout the work. However, the student said her professor focused on the beauty of the language and the splendor of the imagery when lecturing on the text. As a result, the student completely disengaged from the class discussion as a means of self-preservation. She did not feel safe in the class. When she approached her professor after class, the student said she was essentially dismissed, and her concerns were ignored.

Victim shaming and an unwillingness to even consider the perspective of the rape survivor

What next, Off-Topic?

Wait what? I mean I am against the extreme feminists and what people call "SJW" as the next guy.. But the article clearly said she was a victim of sexual assault and that she possibly has post traumatic stress disorder.. We need some fucking middle ground here.. On one hand of course we shouldn't stop teaching this kind of stuff.. But on the other hand we shouldn't be complete assholes about people suffering post traumatic stress disorder upon unfortunate parts in their life... An obvious solution would be to not be an asshole about it, and warn the said person that they should leave the classroom if this shit does cause a problems before it is covered, while not having it negatively impact their grade.. There every one is happy..

I'm not hostile toward women who have been raped, I'm hostile towards the effort of trying to turn our colleges into daycare for the emotional unstable. BTW, I've been sexually assaulted myself. I'm also not calling rape survivors in general weaklings, I'm calling people who are so emotionally unhinged that even hearing fake stories about mythological gods causes them to panic and need such levels of coddling to even function. You know, there's even research out there that suggests this ninny coddling/trigger warnings are counter productive, and that the best way to get over traumatic events is to face them and learn how to deal with feelings of discomfort. I think we are doing people a disservice by even considering to cow-tail to this over-sensitive silliness.

What are these people going to do in the real world? Being discomforted is a part of life...and college isn't the place for infantile pandering.

@BranKetra: Why is it his problem to deal with her sensitivities toward rape? He didn't rape her. Didn't have anyone else rape her or try too. And probably didn't actively ask the class has anyone been raped here because that's unacceptable. Simply Taught mythology and "Focused on the beauty of the language and the splendor of the imagery when lecturing" which in the context of mythology seems spot on the money on how to teach a mythology course. Too me it seems she's the problem. Having been raped is her issue no one else's and her offense to the material shouldn't garner even an ounce of respect from anyone. Hell I've dealt with crippling depression and social anxieties to the extreme a couple of times in my life and for years at a time. It be like me walking into the grocery store and getting more depressed due to not being able to afford all the tasty food I saw there, in turn causing feelings of alienation and avoidance, leading to a lawsuit. Or go and ask them to empty the store out so I don't run into anyone because I have anxiety about it, and then sue them if they don't. Her trigger, Her mental health issue, Her damn problem.

I think the only logical solution to this was to have her get a shrink or therapist Keywords "Have her get". Or grow the **** up realize your anxiety is nothing but bullshit mental habits you've formed and can change and work past. If she wanted special treatment for her mental issues the only proper way is for her to actually go to a medical facility and deal with her shit with professionals in the field. This way she's gone about it is just down right pathetic. It almost makes me laugh how damn sensitive people are, but then I realize somehow people like this garner respect form some on here and if on here else where and in droves. Then sadness over comes me, as we've come so far but for some reason fall so far behind and backwards with allowing these whiny self absorbed entitled people who like to shout I don't like it you deal with it everywhere you go.

Let's not make excuses. Calling a rape survivor who experiences post traumatic trauma based on depictions of rape a mental weakling is just not acceptable. I suggest you man up and take responsibility for your word choice.

We can debate the merits of trigger warnings, but hostility towards sexual assault survivors is a non-starter.

Thank God universities and most people in society don't have this attitude.

It's Greek mythology. It has zero relevance in the real world.

If this sort of thing really bothers someone that much, then they should just stay at home and never read anything ever again (as that is literally all they can do if they don't want to feel "triggered" at any point in their life).

They'd love Oedipus then, Killing your father and having sex with someone who turns out to be your mother, lol.

How the hell are you going to get triggered in a college course, let's be frank college isn't made for children. Hell how are you ready for any position in the world that deals with people at all if you're constantly getting triggered over the use of terms and graphic stories.

You can't just crawl into a ball and go to your happy place the moment someone uses unkind language, a trigger or questions you in a less than polite way in the real world. The people with these issues are seriously damaged and should seek psychological help, not place restrictions on those they meet in daily conversation, teach them.

Wish they did. Maybe we'd actually have a more accurate and flushed out system built around education and the preservation of past works. Instead we have Businesses that house 75% useless courses, Sports teams that seem to be their main focus, along with profit oriented research more in line with helping them as a business then their actual student bodies education. And people like this girl who think having her mental health issues like this should be anyone elses problem besides her doctors and family. If she wanted special treatment A doctors note would have sufficed that's how you bring disabilities to a University or collage when you want them dealt with properly. Not walk in and act like a child and throw a Sissy fit in the form of a lawsuit because you couldn't follow the proper channels to deal with your problems.

This is an extremely short-sighted and ignorant comment. Post traumatic stress symptoms can be triggered by both fictional and non-fictional depictions. I suggest you do some research.

Sexual assault victims with PSTD can be triggered anywhere. Did you read the link?

You people need to do research.

Then maybe they shouldn't be taking the class.

Ancient mythology is filled with rape, torture, and graphic depictions of violence. Hell so are religious texts.

What other solution is there then?

There's literally nothing else but to expect everyone else to bend over backwards to suit their own needs.

It's either that or just fucking learn deal with it. There is no in between.

@GreySeal9: Then she needs to deal with her Post Traumatic stress, with the proper channels, the way she's gone about it is down right childish. Her Behavior doesn't leave me with much hope for her over all worldly or practical knowledge. If causing a fuss was her answer to this problem then I don't see why again anyone should be showing this woman any respect for this , when proper channels could have been followed and things ironed out. Hell with how fucking crazy some of the nuttier Feminists are (Some crazy male ones now too MGTO anyone?)

I wouldn't put it past this girl to have literally picked this course for the very reason it had material depicting rape, therefore she had a chance to exploit it and possible win enough money in a lawsuit to be better off then what she was before.

That's ridiculous. They can simply be warned and make other arrangements. No need for sexual assault survivors to stop taking literature classes.

Not responding to your anti-feminist nonsense because it's not relevant.

It doesn't matter whether she's being practical or not. People who suffer PSTD don't exactly behave practically all the time but that doesn't mean they should be berated.

I know you're desperately trying to justify your callous attitude but this is not how well adjusted people treat sexual assault survivors. There's nothing weak about having compassion.

Your speculation about the girl's motives are just that: speculation that doesn't deserve a response.

So if a pencil is dropped in class during an exam would that be considered rape? Or a cough, a sneeze?

Literally anything can trigger after all.

@GreySeal9: How about we switch the course from mythology to History of warfare or something like that. Then switch her out for a Veteran with PTSD. Now Is it okay for that man to show up one day freaking out at or get angry at the professor for materials that might hit home for him? Then if the professor doesn't bend over for him, since he's got no medical doctors note giving him any sort of leverage to get out of such material he payed to learn it's just fine for him to file a lawsuit when he himself didn't bother to follow proper guidelines or procedure put in place both by law and school rules for such things just like this?

I meant to say they can be triggered "anywhere" and edited it. In any case, let's not ask silly questions. Of course dropping a pencil is not rape. I would suggest not making light of rape. It's not a good look.

In any case, arrangements can be made to help sexual assault victim without having them drop the class.

There is plenty of in between. Just because you think in black and white doesn't mean solutions can't be found.

Talking about history, how is anyone supposed to learn of the exploits of Nero, Elagabalus or Caligula when nearly all of them committed pedophilia, rape, murder and tortured their citizens?

Leaving any of that out would be a disservice to their memories. It's what made them so notorious in the first place after all.

It's like with Germany and their expulsion of all material referring to Hitlers reign, if you can't look back on past mistakes and see where there was error for future generations chances are you're doomed to repeat them.

Nobody has suggested that this history not be taught, just that the way that it is taught should take people's circumstances into consideration. Again: read the link.

What difference does it make whether it is a sexual assault victim or veteran? Both should be treated with compassion and understanding and should be able to opt out of lessons that cause them severe discomfort. And professors should do all they can to create a safe environment.

We're only talking about college courses though. There really is only two options in this case (the only third being that someone takes private lessons with a tutor).

Professors adjust the way they teach all the time based on these kind of circumstances; it would be irresponsible not to. Being sensitive toward people who have experience trauma does not equal bending over backwards.

I swear: some of you are just too used to internet culture in which everybody's solution to complex problems is just "grow a thicker skin herp derp." IRL, most people try to be sensitive to people's situations.

Ya you generally don't sue a business just to have them issue an apology or feel like you've righted a wrong. My speculations are warranted. She had the class curriculum at the beginning of the year even before signing up, had ample time to follow the proper channels to have her exempt from such materials due to mental health issues she deals with. Like your supposed to do, so I think it's perfectly warranted.

Ya it's far more likely she just happened to choose a course that contained rape content she was highly sensitive too due to PTSD, then didn't bother actually reading her courses curriculum, or attempt in getting a medical note to avoid such things if she did know about it, even when disabilities are taken seriously in post secondary and accommodations will be made if medical notes are acquired.. Then she just feels like a Victim when she just so happens to realize OMG there is rape in some of this mythology I chose to pay to study. Then essentially demands the removal of content, which the answer should be no like having been a victim in the past and not having been able to deal with it is his and the schools issues outside of accommodating her when she follows the right channels and procedures like everyone else. And sues them when she fails to do her part, and on getting them to bow to her demands.

Yep sounds like complete coincidence. Too bad people aren't all ways as dumb as you think. Since playing dumb and suing is an actual viable option for some in America you can be assured many others are will be willing to try when an opportunity arises. Happens every damn day.