Open mouth, spit out disgusting taste, close mouth

[drwex]

I am appalled. I probably shouldn't be. It's the Web, it's America. It's clearly commonplace. But... ugh.

I was trying to explain the difference between "discreet" and "discrete" to someone and went to Google for "discreet" to get a definition. What I got was narsty.

"Extramarital Affairs - Discreet Affairs - Discreet Relationships" - www.discreetadventures.com
"Discreet Housewife Dating" - www.lonelycheatingwives.com
"Affairs Made Simple" - AffairMatch.com
"Married Dating" - MarriedSecrets.com
"Married Dating Personals" - www.Desperate-Wife.com
"Lonely Housewives" - www.Married-Woman-Personals.com
"Extramarital Dating" - www.discreetadventures.com

And that's just on the first page.

I'm not exactly surprised - yes, I realize that there's a godawful lot of cheating going on. I am a bit taken aback by the brazen nature of the phenomenon. I suppose that ought not to surprise me, either. It's just more confirmation that I Am Not One Of Them.

Comments

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

This is a testimony to the power of existing social structures and the difficulty individual people have creating other structures that work better for them.

Many, if not most, people in the wider society seem to be more willing to lie or break their vows than are willing to change the agreements under which they conduct their relationships. I recognize that this is a result of greater social forces, but I'm impressed by the power of those forces nonetheless.

[quezz.livejournal.com]

We don't know what's going on here, and I find it pretty hypocritical that a group of people who actively choose to buck the norm and engage in similar behaviors under a different name would be so quick to judge.

As I said in a longer post on this thread: how you dress it doesn't mean it's not the same thing. I don't know enough to judge, especially after observing some of the intrigues that go on in the poly crowd.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

I think you are reading judgment into my comment where no judgment is being made.

We're all influenced by greater social forces, whether we like to admit it or not.