"A product of their time" is a reasonable framework to compare people to, because it highlights the areas where they were pushing forward toward something better. It shouldn't be a justification for people that did nothing, or doubled down on the status quo. When someone says look at mark Twain the man was a racist, comparing him to his time is like using a red filter to find the blue lines in a hidden message picture. It highlights the ways they were different and progressive. Or at least it can. Everyone is a product of the culture they came from. What's important is how they pushed forward. We do need to remember that no one breaks the mold completely. We just get to make sure the next generation's mold is better.
WobblyBlade t1_j092tin wrote
Reply to comment by ArrestDeathSantis in Adam Sandler wins the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor by ZylonBane
"A product of their time" is a reasonable framework to compare people to, because it highlights the areas where they were pushing forward toward something better. It shouldn't be a justification for people that did nothing, or doubled down on the status quo. When someone says look at mark Twain the man was a racist, comparing him to his time is like using a red filter to find the blue lines in a hidden message picture. It highlights the ways they were different and progressive. Or at least it can. Everyone is a product of the culture they came from. What's important is how they pushed forward. We do need to remember that no one breaks the mold completely. We just get to make sure the next generation's mold is better.