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by matt4077 3355 days ago
I've thought about, and used, two possibly opposing, strategies to make life easier for others:

(a) Insist on privacy especially when you have "nothing to hide". I once refused to send a photo with an application (which is still a thing with the really slow-to-adapt companies in my country). I'm square in the majority in any characteristic a photo may reveal, but I was hoping to give some cover to those who don't want to give a photo for whatever reason, and fear being judged just for that.

(b): I'm rather careless with some information that others would be afraid to reveal, hoping to normalize it ever so slightly. There are still too many things that are really really common, but taboo to mention because nobody knows how common they are because it's taboo... Examples may be mental health issues, being bisexual/poly/etc.

Also, if you are in high regard and can afford it, you can do everyone a favour by rejecting certain common but harmful practices: Are you no longer productive at 4pm because you didn't sleep well? Go home!

2 comments

> Also, if you are in high regard and can afford it, you can do everyone a favour by rejecting certain common but harmful practices

While I agree, it's important that this is perceived as "this is how things should work" rather than "I'm high status so I can do this but you can't".

It's interesting that your two strategies are apparently opposed to each other, but I guess the distinguishing feature is that you reveal things that might disadvantage you, and hide things that wouldn't.