I don't know, I was looking for Discord servers and I found one for people like me that said "this isn't a safe space, but it's a comfortable place." I don't use Discord much, is there a difference?

Are "safe spaces" bad? I mean, the only knowledge I have of it is the post as well as other posts I've seen with people that tell you to censor literally any little thing because it "triggers their PTSD".

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[–] 7 points 4 days ago (4 children)

The definition of spaces as "safe" or "comfortable" is subjective, there may be some who use the terms synonymously but I don't. There are safe spaces for drug addicts to discuss their experiences of addiction with each other; these spaces frequently deal with extremely uncomfortable topics. They are "safe" in that there are a few precepts that must be agreed upon in order to enter into the conversation, e.g. "There are no leaders; we are all peers" or "No drug addict is unworthy of help" or "Programs or methodologies that demand exclusivity are vulnerable to cultism and their promotion is not permitted here" etc. The idea is to make certain baseline topics axiomatic so the group can focus their conversations more productively than endlessly rehashing the same topic over and over again, which can exhaust and overwhelm members, to the detriment of all. That definition of safety is created by the community and agreed to by its members, and every safe space is free to define safety differently.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 days ago (2 children)

    Second thought: if someone tells you something is triggering, please take them at their word, even if you privately think they're being childish or dramatic or whatever. PTSD triggers suck and while there are common patterns, they can often be highly individualistic. If you find someone's (or some group's) interaction preferences over-burdensome, just don't interact with them.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 days ago

    I like this definition the best. The rules are there to serve a group you don't belong to - so from the outside they look silly or heavy handed. But that just means you don't belong there. Uncomfortable topics may need more rules.

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