I’ve had this debate before and was unable to come to a conclusion. It seems to me that any criticism, no matter how valid, could be characterized as harassment.
What do you guys think?
Is there a heuristic for determining which one a statement is?
Does everything just exist on a continuum between the two?
Is this harassment?

  • Thann@lemmy.mlOP
    2·
    3 years ago

    I guess anything can be harassment if the person feels so

    This would mean harassment is purely subjective. I think its a perfectly legitimate answer, and means my question is moot.

    here is also a moral obligation when one is literally hurting people to criticize.

    Yeah, I agree, the question of harassment is overshadowed by public interest.

    • stopit@lemmy.ml
      2·
      3 years ago

      yes and no…for example, I previously worked at a corporate job…mostly thought it sucked, but their definition of harassment is when you continue expressing something to someone who tells you they don’t want it. I agree with this. If someone is truly bad - there are ways to report it.

      I guess when I think of criticism, I think of something I am doing that I want to get better at and need criticism…with suggestions that I can use.

      • Thann@lemmy.mlOP
        1·
        3 years ago

        I agree with you that, bringing something up after someone told you they don’t want to talk about it, is generally harassment. But again there is the question of public interest.

        If someone is bringing the company/country down, it could be for the “greater good” to reiterate criticism.

        • stopit@lemmy.ml
          2·
          3 years ago

          But…if someone doesn’t want your criticism and is bringing the company down - there is usually an avenue to report it - it’s not always adequate but at the same time, criticizing someone that is not open to it, isn’t adequate either. Real conundrum! (is that a word?)