If everyone gets a Valentine, you know it's not about friendship
See, that's my problem right there. What's to celebrate if everyone gets it. It's like the jewish or muslim kids getting christmas presents, fine if you see christmas as a festival celebrating buying gifts, not so fine (in fact it seems quite insulting, dismissive and patronising of their beliefs) to people who believe it should be a celebration as the birth of their saviour.
Something similar that more personally galls me, the idea that on your birthday, you bring cake into the office for everyone; yes statistically it involves everyone buying as much cake as if everyone contributes and organises to buy cake for one person on their birthday, but it's your special day, why should you be the one making the effort for the greater good ? I'd would much rather make the effort to make someone else's special day special, even if the effort is a little thing like choosing which cake you think they'd appreciate most.
As for the bit about handing out invites, then good manners would dictate that you employ some tact and decorum if you're not inviting everyone. Should this not be as much a part of school teaching as maths and english ? Punish kids for being rude and obnoxious, for not using common sense and thinking about their actions. Prescriptive law tends to discourage people from taking responsibility for their own actions.
no subject
See, that's my problem right there. What's to celebrate if everyone gets it. It's like the jewish or muslim kids getting christmas presents, fine if you see christmas as a festival celebrating buying gifts, not so fine (in fact it seems quite insulting, dismissive and patronising of their beliefs) to people who believe it should be a celebration as the birth of their saviour.
Something similar that more personally galls me, the idea that on your birthday, you bring cake into the office for everyone; yes statistically it involves everyone buying as much cake as if everyone contributes and organises to buy cake for one person on their birthday, but it's your special day, why should you be the one making the effort for the greater good ? I'd would much rather make the effort to make someone else's special day special, even if the effort is a little thing like choosing which cake you think they'd appreciate most.
As for the bit about handing out invites, then good manners would dictate that you employ some tact and decorum if you're not inviting everyone. Should this not be as much a part of school teaching as maths and english ? Punish kids for being rude and obnoxious, for not using common sense and thinking about their actions. Prescriptive law tends to discourage people from taking responsibility for their own actions.
the hatter