" I'm offended "

[lamchopp]

Another way of looking at this could be that being offended means we care about something. Obviously certain things matter more than others and getting offended about certain things may not warrant the attention it brings of being "offended" but being offended can actually be a good thing provided we know what we're being offended about.

Also, "people are so easily offended" because there is so much diversity. Think about all the most popular offenses, which happen in religion, gender orientation, political stances, basically any touchy subject is bound to open a fresh wound or stab at an old one. On one hand I think it's good we have diversity in opinion but on the other hand if we were to not be offended, that would make us a little less human.

So it's really a health mixture between understanding that there is so much opinion out there we cannot possibly please everyone and to not patronize or demean others who believe something different than us. Basically we need little bit of wisdom on everyone's part. It really comes down to how individuals respond to difference in opinion. It is intuitive to be hostile to new opinion but if we were receptive to difference than it's like spreading love instead of hate.

[mini98]

Also, "people are so easily offended" because there is so much diversity. Think about all the most popular offenses, which happen in religion, gender orientation, political stances, basically any touchy subject is bound to open a fresh wound or stab at an old one. On one hand I think it's good we have diversity in opinion but on the other hand if we were to not be offended, that would make us a little less human.

No it wouldn't. Alot of animals "care" as you put it about things. E.g. a tiger in the zoo looking after a puppy, or a lion protecting his territory. Both are types of your example of your "caring". My point is if animals do it then it could technically be social evolution for us to stop doing this, animals evolve based on there habitat etc and if we keep changing to world to suit us then social evolution is most likely the only path, or science modification but whatever.

[Deleted]

I wonderd how many of you lived through the PC age of the 90's.. This is nothing new.



For all you youngin's PC is not personal computer.

PC has quite literally gone mad

OT: i think people these days are less sensitive however with the anonymity of the internet anyone can turn into a whiny joke if they think they can make someone elses day bad IE. reporting someone on wow for using non directive profanities

[Tastyfish]

People need to stop linking that guy.

I also think it's hilarious that this same guy was crying over the view ladies laughing at the guy who lost his dick. Clearly he was offended.

should of watched more.
He was rite, NOWHERE would it be tolerated if a buncha men were sitting around talking about cutting off a womans tits and sexual parts, on live TV with a room full of men cheering for it. Why should they get away with the double standered and call it empowering to woman? lol


OT: Some things people need to be checked on, others are just over the top, oh well thats life, never just a black or white answer.

[Screamenko]

When talking about offense, I think we should pay more attention to mere sensibility of things. I think a nice example would be someone's recorded speech shown on BlizzCon that 'offended' Alliance players, homosexualists, women, whatever else. People got so frustrative because of it and I was surprised they couldn't reach the deepest roots of the thing. Look, for an internation company like Blizzard Entertainment such things are just... saddening. It was not sensible at all. Showing a video full of obscene words to a crowd of fans. I don't know how to call it. It didn't offend me in any way, but it showed that Blizzard thinks most of their fans are just plain stupid. Because, to my mind, one needs to be completely ignorant to find such things funny.
So, before you get offended next time, think about how your offender gets himself offended just by saying stupid things.

[mini98]

When talking about offense, I think we should pay more attention to mere sensibility of things. I think a nice example would be someone's recorded speech shown on BlizzCon that 'offended' Alliance players, homosexualists, women, whatever else. People got so frustrative because of it and I was surprised they couldn't reach the deepest roots of the thing. Look, for an internation company like Blizzard Entertainment such things are just... saddening. It was not sensible at all. Showing a video full of obscene words to a crowd of fans. I don't know how to call it. It didn't offend me in any way, but it showed that Blizzard thinks most of their fans are just plain stupid. Because, to my mind, one needs to be completely ignorant to find such things funny.
So, before you get offended next time, think about how your offender gets himself offended just by saying stupid things.

A good joke would be about the people who can't understand why it was offensive...lol

OT : I agree with this as well, its sensible to understand being offended but as mentioned about there are double standards.

[smartAXE]

damnit someone posted the steve hughs vid before me, i am completely offended and someone should take action

[Rarespawn2012]

Welcome to the new age of the [progressive movement of the 1990's. SSopmething ahppened in the late 1980's that gave people the idea that somehow being foffended was an inherent right and allowed them to oppress all those with opposing views. This seems to be a combined effort or possibly an unitentional drawback from the progressive and feminist movement that started in the late 80's,(I'm an 80's baby so it might have started sooner, I just remember She-Ra and all that crap slowly countering the 'maleocracy') The problem is that people became afraid of being labeled intoelratn or biogoted if they objected to the cries of offense. In other words everybody became too touchy.

Not labeling all progressives or all feminists as over senisitive as there are the eaisly offended in all circles, more so in the religious right, however both the right and left are equally as irritating in their quest to envoke their imaginary right to not be offended.

[Deleted]

Equally relevant.

[Duridi]

Everyone in this world will be offended by something.

I'd say that in many cases caring that others get offended by something you aren't offended by, is you being offended by the fact that they are offended at something you concider being okay.

I'd say our ability to be offended keeps us in line. If nobody were offended by anything, I am sure this world could have turned out even more chaotic than it already is. I am not even sure we would have been able to maintain any laws either, if nobody had negative feelings tied to anything.

[Stir]

I remember watching a video some years back about a woman food vendor who would call everyone "honey" when taking their order. Someone complained that they were offended and she lost her job. Do you think that's something legitimately offensive?

No. I son't, of course. Though obviously, the complainer proved they weren't a 'honey.'
Of course it goes both ways. But me, personally: I wouldn't mind hearing a little less 'bitch,' 'chick' and other derogatory terms. I mean; it takes extra effort to use such vulgarities, so why bother? Why bother with the vulgarities when it doesn't serve any purpose other than being offensive?
Like the Englishman in this same topic: How hard can it be to realize that those Muslims they described are English as well? And how hard can it be to realize that the whole stigma of 'Muslim' is as silly and unrealistic, as well as offensive because of social stigmatization and ostracism, as saying that all English people are low-life, uneducated scum? How come there's such double standards in the whole 'I am offended' debate? Apparently, it's okay to shout that 'those Muslims' are always offended by everything, but the heart of the problem is the other way around: The shouters feel offended by the fact that there's Muslim people; people with a different culture, people with different views, sharing the same living space as them.

Of course there's going to be nutjobs who are offended at everything; especially those things that don't concern them at all. Should we pay those any heed? I'd say no. But that's no excuse to just toss out all common courtesy under the banner of 'being offended is your choice, so I can spew all sorts of nasty about you if I will, and you have no right to stop me!'

[Duridi]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I could ban one word from ever being used again, it's "offensive". I am so allergic to that word.

That's because you are offended by the word...

[mini98]

Of course there's going to be nutjobs who are offended at everything; especially those things that don't concern them at all. Should we pay those any heed? I'd say no. But that's no excuse to just toss out all common courtesy under the banner of 'being offended is your choice, so I can spew all sorts of nasty about you if I will, and you have no right to stop me!'

I always love when someone uses these examples, reminds me of the USA's tactic of saving everyone :P

[Rarespawn2012]

might i also add that being offended is a choice.

[mini98]

might i also add that being offended is a choice.

That I don't agree with, getting angry about something someone said is just chemicals whirling around in your brain (/10 chars if someone has a better description), and last I checked you can't control the hormones etc in your body so no, it isnt your choice.

If anything I would say people get offended because they try to fit into societies standards, and if they don't or see people doing otherwise they get offended...best example I can think of atm.

[Duridi]

might i also add that being offended is a choice.

Somewhat, but not entirely.

Besides, as I said earlier;

I'd say our ability to be offended keeps us in line. If nobody were offended by anything, I am sure this world could have turned out even more chaotic than it already is. I am not even sure we would have been able to maintain any laws either, if nobody had negative feelings tied to anything.

[BoomChickn]

My philosophy here is simply expect what you give to be returned. So I may be blunt at times and people can/will find that offensive, but I also expect the same in return. It only pisses me off when people think they can give but won't receive.

[Rachel]

Thing is, is that there's oversensitivity, and then there are things to be legitimately worried about.

For example, a simple Jew joke isn't going to offend me, but if someone comes up to me, or is standing in the street shouting "All Jewish men should be fucking slaughtered and all Jewish women raped," yeah, I'll be worried about that and probably offended.

For the most part, people should try to have tolerance and politeness for others. As another example, I don't like the Twilight series at all, but do you see me going around being nasty to people who do? Nope.

A little kindness isn't going to hurt anybody. I wish people would get away from the "kindness=weakness" crap.

[Duridi]

In NJ there's now this anti-bullying law which basically makes it so that anything that can be taken out of context and seen as bullying to ANYONE is now extremely serious. I have a feeling it came from the "He said this to this which somehow offended me so MAKE IT STOP!!!!! T_T" crowd.

Bullying excist purely to make other people feel bad. The entire background for bullying someone is to weaken them.

Seeing as being offended is one of the things that makes us human, simply making society(saying society, because it might work for one person, but it will never work for society as a whole) stop caring to stop bullying won't work. Because of that, it is easier to attack the problem from another angle. Making bullying something that isn't socially accepted, be that through campaigns or law(or anything else that might have an impact).

As long as we are able to make other people feel good, we will also be capable of making them feel bad. How much of an impact either side has on one individual is... individual!

[Rarespawn2012]

okay, let me add acting upon those feelings is a choice, it's not always a conscious choice but it was one. People are no longer taught how to handle situations they disagree with. Honestly a basic psychology class shoudl eb taught to highschoolers or middleschoolers on how to handle or put issues in perspective in regards to emotions. I have a long fuse but when I finally get set off I have a longer cooldown so I learned/learnign how to handle the way I feel or how I think about certain sitations when they happen to avoid falling into to personal traps.