Conversations Steampunks Are Not Immune To

Within the last week alone I've had to have the following conversations.

White Person: Look at me with this cool thing!

POC Friend: Dude, that cool thing is not cool.

White Person: Oh, sorry. Will stop doing it. What's wrong with it?

POC Friend: It's terrible in X, Y, Z ways.

White Person: I thought it was A, B, C.

POC Friend: Maybe you saw it that way, but there are other cool things which do A, B, C without doing X, Y, Z.

White Person: Wow, didn't think about that. Sorry I goofed. Will do better next time.

Compare and contrast to the following exchange:

White Person: Look at me with this cool thing!

POC Friend: Dude, that cool thing is not cool.

White Person: Aw, sorry I goofed, but I totally didn't mean it that way!

POC Friend: Well it comes across as terribly X, Y, Z in these ways.

White Person: Well hopefully other people will see what I mean anyway.

One conversation is more productive than another. Such conversations are also easily applicable to other kinds of marginalizations, not just racial ones.