In Defense Of "I'm Sorry You Feel That Way"
Read the original on Astral Codex Ten →
Follow-up reading
↳ Highlights From The Comments On "Sorry You Feel That Way" — Highlights (companion) · Sep 2024
Summary
A concise defense of the maligned phrase as the realistic third option (besides caving or being a jerk) for staying firm on the object level while showing compassion. Diagnoses the hatred as 'therapy culture' overfitting norms to one's momentary position - if you wrong someone it's your trauma and they must forgive; if someone wrongs you they're a narcissist to be shunned (citing deBoer). Sharp and useful, if slight.
Why this score
Quality 72 · Strong. Strong: a crisp, genuinely useful reframe of a common discourse move and of 'therapy culture' - short and single-point. ~72.
Claude’s paradigm shift 50 · Moderate. The 'overfitting norms to your current position' diagnosis is a sharp, fresh framing built on deBoer's therapy-culture critique. ~50.
Real-world impact 2 · Minor. A crisp, genuinely useful reframe of a maligned phrase ('I'm sorry you feel that way' as the realistic firm-but-compassionate third option) and of 'therapy culture' overfitting norms to one's momentary position. Conceptual influence within discourse, slight/single-point, no material change — low RWI.