Differences Between Jealousy And Oppression

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Thursday's class made me think about the connection between common courtesy and oppression. When does someone being rude count as oppression? When is oppression about someone being rude? How do we know the difference? When I heard the story about the elderly lady in the store, my first thought was that the man was just a rude salesperson. I shared during the discussion that he might have been rude to everyone that day. How would he react if I asked a question? Would he answer my question? Was he having a bad day? Was he was rude to all of the customers? Would he treat a man the same way? Was the woman treated poorly because of her age, her gender or both? Would he treat an elderly man differently? Is this discrimination or oppression? Is …show more content…

The more I think about the situation, the more questions I have. It is difficult to analyze everyday situations that involve people's emotions, moods, and experiences. There are plenty of people who are rude. Are they unpleasant people or oppressors? How do we determine the difference between the two? The conversation also made me think of a situation I experienced the weekend before. I went to Bloomingdales in Manhattan on Saturday after a birthday brunch. I was nicely dressed and wearing expensive jewelry. My cousin and I went to the fur salon to look at shearling coats. As soon as we walked into the department a saleswoman asked if we needed help. I explained to the saleswoman what I was looking for and my price range. While I was talking with my cousin, the saleswoman slipped a coat on me she thought I would like. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw I was wearing a full-length mink that cost $12,500. I took the coat off, handed it back to the saleswoman and told her I would like to try on coats in my price range. I was annoyed by the pushy sales tactic, but I realized she worked on commission.

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