Social Question

Blondesjon's avatar

Would you wear these shoes?

Asked by Blondesjon (33994points) November 3rd, 2010

They say you shouldn’t judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Let’s say someone gave you a pair of shoes that, when worn, allowed you to do just that. For one week you would experience the following:

Sunday – Being Gay/Straight
Monday – Being a Man/Woman
Tuesday – Being a Christian/Atheist
Wednesday – Being Wealthy/Poor
Thursday – Being White/Non-White
Friday – Being Drug User/Non-Drug User
Saturday – Being ME!

The opposite of your normal every day experience is the experience that would apply to you. Which day would you most look forward to? Which would you dread the most? Could you even handle an entire week outside of your comfort zone?

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47 Answers

WillWorkForChocolate's avatar

Umm, I really don’t want to be an atheist or a drug user… other than that, I can totally cope!

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

I will pass on Friday,but most curious about Tuesday.

Vunessuh's avatar

I would most look forward to being you so I could get closer to jonsblond. XD

BarnacleBill's avatar

I would not like Friday, but Thursday would be pretty cool.

marinelife's avatar

I would do it if it was for one week only. I would look forward to Sunday and Wednesday.

Jude's avatar

Monday

RealEyesRealizeRealLies's avatar

I refuse to take part in such ridiculous frivolity. The very idea of this question is offensive.

Maybe tomorrow.

Randy's avatar

The only problem with this schedule is that none of those are really black and white. They all can vary by different degrees.

But to actually answer the question, FUCK NO! I’ve found myself to the extremes and in between 3 of the 7 and for the most part, I wouldn’t electively go back.

I’ve found that a lot of people, throughout their lifetime, bounce around before they decide who and what they’re going to be. Under certain circumstances it’s not even a choice of their own, so instead of saying not to judging a person until you walk in their shoes, I say don’t judge because you never know when and where you’ll end up. Shit happens.

AmWiser's avatar

If it’s only for one week, I would look forward only to Saturday.

Jeruba's avatar

I would do every one of them and more, except that I’ve already done both ends of Tuesday. Maybe that day I’d experience another religion, such as Muslim. After all, Christianity is only one of many alternatives to atheism. (And I’m disappointed in any religious person who wouldn’t dare try out another point of view.)

I think being wealthy for a day would be the most fun, but I’d probably learn the most from a day of being a man. I would dread being a drug user, but I’d do it because I think some true been-there understanding and compassion would be better for me than bewildered pity.

wundayatta's avatar

I’ll do Saturday, but only if @Vunessuh is there, too!

downtide's avatar

The only one I wouldn’t be able to cope with is being a drug user. For the Christian vs Atheist one I would rather pick a different religion. I’ve done Christianity before, I think it would be more educational to try somethng I so far have no experience of.

Come to think of it, I’ve already done the Woman/Man swap so I’ll get Monday off.

WillWorkForChocolate's avatar

Wait, I have a question- If I’m wealthy for a day, can I stash some of the money in various places for my poor self to find once I’m back to normal?

KatawaGrey's avatar

I am bisexual and a non-Christian theist so Sunday would be a normal day and Tuesday would be pretty friggin awful. Other than that, as a woman, I would look forward to being a man most, but I think I would also lament the day ending the most. I really like being a woman, but to experience the social power that a man has in American society would be intoxicating. Like many other people on here, I could not stand being a drug user and this would probably be my worst day.

I think it would nice to be you because, even though you and your family have significant financial troubles, you all seem so happy with each other and it’s rare to have that kind of happiness. :)

JustJessica's avatar

I would welcome all days with open arms, but Thursday is the one that sticks out the most to me, I’ve always wondered how it felt to be on the other end of the color spectrum. I could skip Sunday and Thursday, been there done that! I wonder if I could trade Sunday and Thursday for two more days being a man???

RealEyesRealizeRealLies's avatar

@KatawaGrey ”...to experience the social power that a man has in American society would be intoxicating”

It’s a bit over rated… I assure you. No matter what power we men are perceived to have, the right (or wrong) woman can surely buckle our knees, toppling our little kingdom (read bank accounts).

Neizvestnaya's avatar

Sure, I’ve only got Sunday and Monday left to experience.

augustlan's avatar

Absolutely! I think it would be fascinating, and a real opportunity for personal growth. (I’d choose a different religion, too… been there, done that. Maybe Wicca?)

I would really enjoy being you for a day. I could drink significantly more, and belch with great skill! Not to mention, I’d get to cuddle the blond. :)

KatawaGrey's avatar

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies: I’m not talking about romantic power. That’s different in every relationship. However, being able to walk to your car at night alone without fear? Being able to get drunk at a party without having to be on guard? Being acknowledged and recognized as a worthy opponent when playing card games? I know, I’m a nerd That is what I want to experience. You claim it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be but, remember, you have all sorts of advantages that you have no idea about and wouldn’t know about until you lacked them.

In fact, I think @downtide can attest to what I’ve said.

@augustlan: Oh, be Wiccan for a day! You may never go back. :)

WillWorkForChocolate's avatar

Oh you guys have had a great idea! Wicca has always fascinated me, may I also pick that instead of atheism? Wheeee!

faye's avatar

I would most certainly do that!

6rant6's avatar

Does Monday come with boobs? If so, I’m in!

Religion let me go; see no point in returning.

When you say “Gay” do you mean having sex with same sex partners, or being attracted to same sex folk. The former is unappealing, the latter might be interesting, even enlightening.

Hard to imagine you’d get much of the experience of a different race in a day. I’m white and have felt myself a minority; but I suppose there is still much to learn.

The druggie thing is hard. That one is so obviously a continuum. I drink – not a lot. I do caffeine to alter my mood and experience withdrawal without it. I hallucinate with fever; have bizarre thoughts when I take cough medicine. I originally thought you meant experience the lifestyle, but maybe you actually mean, “Get high”.

Not sure whether my opposite would be wealthy or poor. Don’t think I’d learn much either way.

Being you… the thought occurs to me we are all one, and so, NOT being you would be something new. Hm. We should think about that.

Simone_De_Beauvoir's avatar

I wouldn’t mind being straight or a man or black or wealthy…it’d be interesting to see myself as Christian or a drug user and being you? well…that would probably be my biggest challenge.

bob_'s avatar

Saturday – Being ME!

Mmm… I don’t know. Does your wife mind if you leave your shoes on?

OH SNAP!

Jeruba's avatar

@Neizvestnaya, you’ve been blondesjon?? Tell us!

JilltheTooth's avatar

I’d love to experience the whole week, if it was only one day per change, even Friday. I’d like to understand the whole gamut. Saturday might be a little short for me, though, I’d like to reread your entire Happy Hollisters collection. “Yikes!” said Ricky, “Could we really do all that?”

MissAusten's avatar

I would completely echo @downtide ‘s answer (well, except the swapping part!). I don’t know where I stand on the religion aspect, but to experience a non-Christian religion for a day would be very interesting.

Although, now that I think about it, a drug addict day might not be so bad if I could pick the drug and not have to be Mommy for the day. It might be like college again. ;)

Joybird's avatar

I would really want to avoid Friday altogether. Maybe we could just give me something that would make me sleep all day Friday. hahahaha.

mrrich724's avatar

I’d dread Thursday. . . I’d really look forward to Monday. Great question.

Cruiser's avatar

Not much of a stretch there for me as there are only 3–4 pairs that I haven’t already worn and I know probably won’t be a comfortable fit for me anyway.

RealEyesRealizeRealLies's avatar

“Would you wear these shoes?”

are they on closeout sale @80% off?

SuperMouse's avatar

Count me in. In my current state I would most look forward to Wealthy Wednesday, Manly Monday would be a close second. I think I would struggle the most with Drug Use Friday, but I also think it would be incredibly interesting.

If this hadn’t been asked by @Blondesjon I totally would have skipped it thinking it was an shoe spammer!

rooeytoo's avatar

I think I could handle most anything for a week, so yep, I’ll do it, but you should also have thrown in, liberal to conservative or vice versa. That would really shake up the fluther!

SuperMouse's avatar

@rooeytoo now there is a day I would have skipped!

tinyfaery's avatar

Sunday – Being Gay/Straight—I have been both of these things.
Monday – Being a Man/Woman Would be cool.
Tuesday – Being a Christian/Atheist I’ve been both of these things.
Wednesday – Being Wealthy/Poor I have never been rich, but I have been in a position where money was not an issue and I have been poor.
Thursday – Being White/Non-White I am white and non-white.
Friday – Being Drug User/Non-Drug User I have been both of these things.
Saturday – Being ME! Please, no!

The only new experience would be being a man. I’d give up on Friday night.

absalom's avatar

I’d love to do this.

Q: If I’m gay now and become a woman on Monday, am I then a lesbian? Or am I still attracted to men? It’s interesting to think about experiencing the same sexual desire (i.e. for men) but in a way that isn’t socially abnormal and/or unaccepted.

I wonder whether it feels different. Seems weird, even.

Blueroses's avatar

It sounds like an exhausting week but I’d be completely open to it with particular anticipation for Monday and Wednesday.

ZAGWRITER's avatar

I would enjoy Monday too much. I probably wouldn’t even leave the house, or even get dressed.

ucme's avatar

Monday would be fucking great. I’d play with my tits all day long. The rest of the week would probably play out well, especially Friday when i’d get high with a little help from my friends. Saturday, huge hangover probably.

Neizvestnaya's avatar

@Jeruba: Oh no, I’ve not been @Blondesjon. I mis read the post to mean I get a day of just being ME (Neizvestnaya) without having to put on my work persona. I’d totally opt to be @Blondesjon for a day though, especially if there are ham steaks and split pea soup.

augustlan's avatar

[mod says] This is our Question of the Day!

erichw1504's avatar

No, they smell.

lonelydragon's avatar

I would look forward to wealthy Wednesday. It would be nice not to worry about money. But I would not enjoy Man Day. I am short and curvy, so I probably wouldn’t be a very manly looking man.

The_Idler's avatar

I can’t believe so many people are more afraid of using drugs for a day, than having their consciousness butchered by blind faith in that contrived, dogmatic, narcissistic arrogance of the ancients, commonly known as religion.

Smoke a joint, makes you think Pizza and Pink Floyd are the two greatest inventions in human history.

Become a Christian, makes you believe in magic, ghosts, other dimensions where people are horrifically tortured for all eternity, &c. Oh and you also believe the entire Universe was created just for you.

Hmmmm…

——

Even funnier, people who would be afraid to be atheist!
You do know that God is still there, even if you don’t believe He is, right?
So what’s the issue? You don’t know who to ask, when you need the course of the Universe’s destiny twisted a bit, just to suit your petty, trivial wishes? Try Superman, although he generally only deals with serious issues.

The_Idler's avatar

OP, yeah I would love to take the shoes for a week, although I have already experienced Tuesday to Friday in some ways or others.

Def wouldn’t want to be addicted to some horrible drug though, really depends a lot on what drugs. Crack, meth, coke, heroin, PCP, &c. NOOOO way…
Drinking a few beers, bombing some MDMA, going out partying, relaxing afterwards with a couple joints? Well, it is Friday, ain’t it?

Being gay would be interesting I guess, but not that much different… everyone gets treated pretty much the same here. Except homophobes, who are ridiculed and ostracised.

Being a lesbian for a day would probs be a lot of fun.

I think being an ugly girl would be waaaaay worse than being an ugly guy, just because of how society is structured and how most adult’s minds work.

I would like to be black, to see what the different shaped body/face/hair feels like, and to see if there is any difference in the way I think, but, like with the sexuality, where I am, not many people will treat you any differently. I got constantly stared at and photographed and even shouted at in some places in China, and I think that kind of attention is a lot more intense than whatever a stranger in the street might think to themselves when they see a black man in England.

I would like to see the world from the perspective of Hinduism or a Buddhism and one of the ancient European Pagan religions would also be interesting.

And you, @Blondesjon? Whoever you are, I’d still be interested enough to do it.

downtide's avatar

I think being a junkie for a day would be far worse than being religious for a day. At the end of the religious day you go back to how you were before, and unless you took up arms in some holy war for 24 hours, no lasting harm done. In 24 hours a junkie can do a hell of a lot of damage to a body – possibly permanently

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

Never. I ‘m comfortable in my own skin. All the other stuff is too weird for me.

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