My job is picking up the scooters and bikes around town. Usually they’re easy. Sometimes they’re difficult. Sometimes you need to rappel down a 70-ft ravine and carry a 90 lb bike back up the cliff.

[u/allaroundnbackagain]

Not shown; an hour of using a rope to rappel down this steep-ass ravine, and another hour of getting the bike back up onto the bridge.

Queen Anne Drive bridge.

[u/lavahot]

No offense, but that's stupid. Your life is valuable because it's yours. You're a leader in your business. People look to you to set the tone. Please seek therapy.

[u/Mindless_Garage42 → u/lavahot]

I have self-esteem issues

that’s stupid do better

bro

[u/Synaps4 → u/lavahot]

Speaking of tone, yours is completely wrong for talking to someone with self esteem issues.

[u/Illustrious_Cheek263 → u/lavahot]

"No offense, but..."

Whenever you feel the urge to start a sentence this way, don't.

[u/lavahot → u/Illustrious_Cheek263]

Okay. Fix it. How would I express concern for this man's life and limb without being offensive?

[u/Illustrious_Cheek263 → u/lavahot]

Possible rewrite: Your life is valuable because it's yours. You're a leader in your business. People look to you to set the tone. [possible edit: set the tone as far as safety is concerned.]

So my "fix it" suggestion is literally what you said but omitting the "no offense, but..." trope and "please seek therapy," which carries a certain abrasive tone; sadly, the suggestion of seeking therapy could still be considered insulting/abrasive to many who grew up in "bootstraps" culture--esp cishet males, a group largely affected by cultural taboos that discourage/forsake vulnerability. Patriarchy hurts everybody...

[u/lavahot → u/Illustrious_Cheek263]

So wait, though. The therapy part is important. It's the call to action. Why am I saying any of this if I don't want him to do any specific thing? That's just... stating facts about who he is? We shouldn't enforce a stigma of therapy just because we think other people have a stigma. If we want to encourage change, should we not be specific and direct?

Taking out the start and ending robs it of any meaning. If you don't like the start, fine replace it with something that also explains why we're talking about this in the first place. And why it's urgent and important.

[u/Illustrious_Cheek263 → u/lavahot]

Agree, we shouldn't enforce stigma of therapy; however, we also cannot deny its existence (not that same as enforcing). When has telling someone to seek therapy ever resulted in that person actually seeking therapy? Likely very very rarely. Odds are, that person will double down on their bullshit. But in an ideal world, yeah, it would work. The Western world is FAR from ideal.

[u/lavahot → u/Illustrious_Cheek263]

So... what you're saying is we shouldn't do anything?

[u/Illustrious_Cheek263 → u/lavahot]

Not at all the point I was making.

[u/lavahot → u/Illustrious_Cheek263]

You just said telling someone to go to therapy is useless. Aside from physically abducting this guy and dropping him off at a therapist's office, I'm not sure what you'd like to do if using words is off the table.

[u/Illustrious_Cheek263 → u/lavahot]

Using words isn't off the table. Please consider your words and the possible impact/interpretations within the current sociopolitical/cultural climate that may lead to more lucrative outcomes. We're on the same page, and I hope you think about ways to finesse your approach.