Hacker News Reader

Comment by influx | Hacker News Reader

You’ve never heard anyone in those groups have imposter syndrome? It’s very common.

Isn't imposter syndrome just... pretty common in any STEM field? Maybe especially in anyone who isn't a neurotypical cishet white man.

You don't think affirmative action has anything to do with that? Affirmative action means you and everyone else there knows you had to pass a lower bar, of course that makes impostor syndrome worse.

> Affirmative action means you and everyone else there knows you had to pass a lower bar, of course that makes impostor syndrome worse.

No, it doesn't. But if that makes you feel better, I hope you continue telling yourself that.

Wait, what? That's literally the definition.

That's the made up definition of affirmative action, not the actual one.

Calling it a lower bar is a completely disingenuous interpretation, when the reason for such policies in the first place is that the bar for entry is much higher for minority groups to be hired.

true but the problem here is how the programs are perceived.

even if i had to pass a higher bar to get into university, when i realize that the bar is lowered to get a job, then how i got into university doesn't really matter anymore to me or to my new colleagues. so all the problems that come with the bar being lowered still do apply

It's not though? Discriminating based on minority status is illegal, and affirmative action is an explicit exception to allow discrimination (at least in education; in the private sector it should in theory still be illegal but it's not/rarely enforced).

"Discriminating based on minority status is illegal" Are you actually suggesting that there isn't discrimination in hiring? If its not a company policy then you wont be able to prove that you were discriminated against. I don't know how you can sit here and say it doesn't happen.

> It's not though? Discriminating based on minority status is illegal

Hm, then I guess nobody does it.

Well, no... they do the opposite and they aren't exactly subtle or circumspect about it.

> the bar for entry is much higher for minority groups

... no, it isn't - the entrance requirements are the exact same for everybody.

> the entrance requirements are the exact same for everybody.

What a beautiful fantasy, where humans don't make biased decisions.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com