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Nassim's Sword of Social Justice

Nassim’s Sword of Social Justice (aka D’Sousa’s Razor)

Identified by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in the Medium article: The Merchandising of Virtue" - May 27, 2017

"Kids with rich parents talk about “white privilege” at such privileged colleges as Amherst –but in one instance, one of them could not answer D’Souza’s simple and logical suggestion: ‘Why don’t you go to the registrar’s office and give your privileged spot to a minority student who was next in line?’

Hence the principle:

If your private life conflicts with your intellectual opinion, it cancels your intellectual ideas, not your private life.

and

If your private actions do not generalise then you cannot have general ideas.

This is not strictly about ethics, but information transfer. If a car salesman tries to sell you a Detroit car while driving a Honda, he is signalling that it may have a problem."

The video Taleb is referencing is:
SO SATISFYING: Dinesh D'Souza absolutely shreds SJW over "white privilege" - Young America's Foundation

Published 09 Jun 2018. Recorded at Amherst College.

If you hold an intellectual ideal, but your real world actions do not reflect or enforce this ideal. Then your actions cancel out this ideological stance. You cannot say to the words "I am a vegan" and claim the moral virtue for such an identity, but occasionally eat chicken. The act of eating the chicken cancels out any moral or ideological virtue or superiority claimed by being vegan.
Student: "We have numbers that demonstrate precisely how much wealth was stolen, and that's money that in some way could be given back."

D'Sousa: "You're willing to have social justice with other people's pay, but you're not willing to pay.

So that's the problem. And that's the problem with the progressivism that marches behind social justice, while protecting its own privileges. You know, how you said, we all have to survive, really, you have to be at Amherst to survive?
You don't have to be at Amherst to survive, you have to be at Amherst to benefit.
You have to be at Amherst because you're getting opportunities at this college that many other people are not getting.

So if you say you believe in equal opportunity, you're a hypocrite because you are taking advantage of opportunities unavailable to others. But for you this hypocrisy is fully justified because you are militating on behalf of the poor. But if it's if you're against privilege - this college is privilege. So there's a glaring hypocrisy, and you will never turn your moral mirror on yourself to say, What am I doing about it?

That's my point. For you - society should act before you do - to enforce your moral code.”
____________
Person A: “I’m a vegan but I occasionally have some chicken.”
Person B: “By the logic of Nassim's Sword of Social Justice - the act of eating the chicken cancels out your vegan claim, regardless of what you say about yourself.”
by bewdew December 9, 2023
mugGet the Nassim's Sword of Social Justicemug.

9 of swords

9 of swords is a tarot card that represents a shit ton of bad things. If you draw this card, pray to every single god since the beginning of time that life chooses to go easy on you.
Amanda: What the shit?! I drew amazing cards and then a 9 of swords?! I’m going to kms
Jamie: awesome, can you pop a titty gorgeous?
mugGet the 9 of swordsmug.

sword rangers

Sword rangers is when two guys pretend not to be gay but deep down really are. They play this "sword ranger" game where they whip out their dick and touch each each other with their dicks (practically rubbing each other) to get one another hard. Don't affiliate with these type of men, they will lure you in slowly by grabbing your ass or touching your dick till they know you're comfortable with them.
by ItsStephyPooh August 8, 2017
mugGet the sword rangersmug.

Four Swords Adventures

4 player zelda game that would require parsec and an emulator
How many people are interested in Four Swords Adventures
by LizardInACan August 14, 2023
mugGet the Four Swords Adventuresmug.

Swords and staircases

A sports proverb used mostly within UK football whose definition is still argued about.

It is thought to mean a good performance but one littered with mistakes that would be punished by a better quality opposition
That was a very swords and staircases performance from Trent Alexander Arnold
by Hulkymulky June 29, 2024
mugGet the Swords and staircasesmug.

Tickle-Swords

During a threesome with one partner tied up. The other two males tickle the first with the tips of their penis's.
Bill and Terrance played tickle-swords Betty until she used her safe word.
by mius October 21, 2014
mugGet the Tickle-Swordsmug.

sword otter

an endearing otter who believes himself to be a swordfish
no example necessary for sword otter
by boobs2012 January 2, 2012
mugGet the sword ottermug.

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