Oct 15, 2017 14:26
7 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term
strip away the ability
English
Social Sciences
Psychology
'Maybe it is the struggles that surround dating and relationships when it comes to people with autism spectrum disorders that propagate the myth that people on the spectrum are somehow loveless. Often it is believed that they lack the ability to be romantically involved with another person. To arrive at this, one strips away the entire ability to relate to another person on a romantic level, and this can almost be construed as offensive.' (Luke Jackson 'Sex, drugs and Asperger's Syndrome')
I understand that strip away means 'remove', also in this context. The whole structure is confusing to me - who is "one' (that one who strips away the entire ability) - I assume autistic people are stripped away this ability. I'll appreciate some help.
I understand that strip away means 'remove', also in this context. The whole structure is confusing to me - who is "one' (that one who strips away the entire ability) - I assume autistic people are stripped away this ability. I'll appreciate some help.
Responses
| 3 +1 | deny that they have the ability |
Armorel Young
|
| 4 +1 | subtract the capacity |
Herbmione Granger
|
Responses
+1
19 hrs
Selected
deny that they have the ability
The person who believes that people on the autistic spectrum cannot form romantic attachments is denying that they have any ability to relate to another person on a romantic level.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
58 mins
Herbmione Granger
Germany
Germany
Native in English
&
English
Germany
An American scholar based in Germany
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: French to English, German to English, English
subtract the capacity
"Strip away" means "peel away." I believe that he means "strip from," meaning "take away," but even this is awkward.
Basic meaning of sentence: This belief is a result of one (the person who believes that an autistic person does not have the ability to love in the romantic sense) subtracting from (their idea of) an autistic person all capacity to relate to another person on a romantic level.
ability vs. capacity: http://grammarist.com/usage/ability-capability-capacity/
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Note added at 5 hrs (2017-10-15 20:23:57 GMT)
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The second part of the sentence: and this borders on being offensive.
Basic meaning of sentence: This belief is a result of one (the person who believes that an autistic person does not have the ability to love in the romantic sense) subtracting from (their idea of) an autistic person all capacity to relate to another person on a romantic level.
ability vs. capacity: http://grammarist.com/usage/ability-capability-capacity/
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Note added at 5 hrs (2017-10-15 20:23:57 GMT)
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The second part of the sentence: and this borders on being offensive.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tina Vonhof (X)
: I understand the original sentence better.
1 hr
|
| agree |
Daryo
3 days 4 hrs
|
|
Thanks! BTW I think that the "entire" in the original sentence is significant.
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Discussion
What next? Victor Hugo didn't know how to write?
http://www.gavroche.org/vhugo/sentence.shtml
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=S9d1CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA135&lp...
on page 135
"Many people on the autism spectrum struggle with dating and relationships. This has propagated the arguably offensive myth that they are somehow loveless, lacking the ability to be romantically involved with others."
To answer the questions answer has, 'one' means 'anyone', people in general. 'One strips away' is not meant literally but it is part of people's wrong beliefs about an autistic person, that all autistic people are seen as unable to love. These beliefs are offensive because they put autistic people in a wrong light, they see them as somehow 'sub-human'.