Romantic Overtures
Romantic Overtures
We really need to get tougher on romance, especially at universities. As things stand, people can make romantic overtures to other people and face no consequences. They can even make declarations of love and get away with it! This can lead to all sorts of discomfort and loss of focus on one’s studies, not to mention favoritism. It turns the learning environment into a yearning environment. Micro-affections flourish. Reciprocation may occur. This has to be stopped, especially when there is a “power imbalance”. I propose a simple and humane solution: all romantic overtures must be reported to the authorities, and repeat romantic overtures will warrant expulsion. This applies to both faculty and students (no student “crushes”). It should put paid to the scourge of romantic feelings on the part of people who should be concentrating on academic study. And don’t think you can get away with warm smiles or winking or anything construable as evincing romantic feelings; we will come after you. Romantic overtures, however subtle and loosely defined, are therefore banned henceforward, on pain of disciplinary action.
After affection has been extirpated from the sacred ground of the university, humor must also go the way of the dodo.
We already see that: you have to be careful with your jokes these days. Once affection has been eliminated, people will be free to study all the time and go on to be good cogs in the economic machine. I noticed that affection was increasingly frowned upon in academic settings; gossips gossiped. You had to be what is revoltingly called a “good citizen”.