Microblog Memes

everyone replying that socks have a practical use, as if social constructs arent practical???

my issue is that even though "clothing" is a social construct, the stuff that socks are made out of is not. calling that stuff a sock is a social construct, but choosing to put the fabric on your body is not. becoming "clothed" is a social construct, but the unspecified uncategorized state of having that fabric on your body is just a physical state, not a construct. the meaning we apply to it is the thing that wouldn't exist without socially constructed systems of meaning.

It's kinda sad, i guess. I'm usually the first one to champion XYZ is a social construct, and have to deal with morons not understanding it, but here? no one is willing to say it?

Socks are not a social construct.

I get that it's a joke, but wearing socks is not a social construct-- it's a social convention, but it's utility is driven primarily by non-social factors. A social construct is an idea created and maintained by society specifically for its social function, which neither socks nor the act or wearing them nor the idea that wearing socks is good, are.

Vegetables are a social construct too.

Afaik, botanically, there is no such thing as a "vegetable". Only fruits. What we perceive as "vegetable" differs between cultures worldwide.

Your feet are nasty. I don't need to see them.

Also. The world is nasty. Go raw dog the world and see how long you make it

Health care is a social construct too.

Not that I advocate violence, but not beating your kids, selling them on the street, or making them work in a factory is also a social contract.

I let my kid go all flower child about the socks. he got athletes foot. Socks SPECIFICALLY are not a social construct. they prevent athletes foot.

Good point, kid, and here’s another one: those toys you want me to buy you are a social construct. Playtime? Yep. Social construct. Shall I keep going? Video games are next.

Reminds me of the time I saw people arguing on Reddit about the phrase "time is a social construct" where some people were completely incapable of understanding what that means and conflating the concept of time with the fundamental physics thingymcgee (idk how to call it and entity feels wrong).

People were trying so hard to explain that minutes, months, seasons, etc. are all arbitrary things made up only for them to retort with "but a year is a full rotation of the sun" or "seasons exist because that's how the planet changes its climate".

It is a social construct, and we live in a society… so put your damn socks on

Socks have a practical use, they wick sweat away from your feet - this is practical in low temps where you will wear a cotton sock with a wool sock on top of it

with this heat wave, wearing any clothes is also a social construct.

Some social constructs serve a purpose.

Parents feeding their kids is also a social construct. The Ancients tossed their kids in the salt mines quite early.

"Attitudes against smacking children are also a social construct..."

'Your allowance is a social construct, so I guess we won't be doing that anymore..."

Socks serve a practical purpose when combined with shoes. They prevent rubbing (blisters) and they keep the skin cells and oils from your feet from the insides of your shoes.

Shoes serve a practical purpose in that they protect your feet from rocks, glass, and hot pavement. Did our ancestors need shoes? No. But humans have made our environments less friendly to bare feet

Nick sounds like a dipshit if he can't figure out how to argue against socks being a social construct.

Having a parent who clothes and feeds you is a social construct too. Funny how people think that "social construct" means that something is bad or should be dismissed when none of us would be here without social constructs.

At least this time the argument is being made by the only age group where I would give them a pass for being stupid. Unless that kid is past the age of 12, that is.

Socks keep your shoes from absorbing sweat and help prevent blisters. They’re useful beyond the social construct.

Something being a social construct doesn't mean it's not real, or ignoring it won't negatively affect you.

Laws, money, etc. are all social constructs.

Many things are social constructs, but we also live in social groups

With clothing specifically, it generally has a purpose. Socks can make you more comfortable, warm up your feet, pull sweat away from your skin and generally reduce odors... Not all of those in all cases, mind you, but depending on the circumstances and the type of sock, any/all of these could be the case.

Undergarments in general have similar stories.

All undergarments also play a role in keeping your over garments cleaner. Changing out your underpants and throwing on yesterday's jeans can get you through a day with nearly no compromises... Depending on how dirty your jeans get on an average day.

Over clothes protect you from getting dirty to a limited extent, they'll block/absorb spills that reduces the amount you have to wash/bathe/shower... It's easier to just throw on a new shirt than get into the shower and clean yourself up. Same with pants and other over garments.

Outerwear usually provides a protective element, eg jackets can help prevent things like thorns from scratching you, or keep you warm in cold weather, or dry in wet weather...

Clothes, to me, are a useful thing to be wearing, each piece serving it's own small function, all of it coming together to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

There's plenty of social constructs, this is true, but clothing definitely has a practical purpose, along with so many other things.