The right to be offended
Introduction
The right to be offended is one of the most misunderstood concepts in our society. It's also one of the most important. If you don't think that someone has the right to be offended, then you might as well stop reading this article right now because it will make no sense whatsoever! I’ve always wanted to write a piece about the culture of today, the world we live in and how everyone has an opinion. Wait! Do we? Let’s find out.
Section: What is the right to be offended?
Section: What are some examples of what can cause people to feel offended?
Section: Why does it matter if someone else decides whether or not their feelings are valid?
Section: What about "political correctness"? Isn't that supposed to protect people from being criticised for saying something offensive? Well...yes and no!
"I'm offended by you saying something that is against my deeply held beliefs."
"I'm offended by you saying something that is against my deeply held beliefs."
We often hear this phrase, but do we really understand what it means? The answer is yes and no. It depends on who's speaking and when they are saying it. If a person were to say this to an LGBT person in the context of their everyday lives, then yes—you would be offended! But if someone were to say it at work (where people have different political views), home with friends over dinner or even on a date where everyone has differing opinions about various topics...then perhaps not so much.
Why does this matter? Because freedom of speech is one of our most important rights as humans; however, there are certain situations where we need someone else’s permission before exercising this right (think politics). And when it comes down specifically around issues such as racism/sexism/homophobia etc…there may be times when those involved feel like they cannot express themselves fully because others might take offense or become uncomfortable with how their words sounded coming out loud enough for everyone else outside their immediate vicinity (and maybe even within earshot).
I'm going to be offended by this article.
You don't have to be offended by everything.
If you're not sure what someone is talking about, ask them. If they're not clear and make it clear that they aren't going to explain themselves further, don't bother trying to get an explanation out of them. That's their right—and yours too! It's also polite for people who are being offensive in your presence (or on social media) to indicate that they've said something offensive so that everyone knows what the problem is so there can be an informed discussion about it later on when everyone has calmed down enough not just because anger has been aroused again but also because this time around there will likely be fewer tears shed Facebook and Th over something which may have seemed like a harmless joke at first glance but turned out instead over time has actually caused real harm due both emotionally as well as physically with some people getting fired due having shared phowithout permission leading to lawsuits being filed against companies like Verizon Wireless while others lost their jobs due having written blog posts which were found "blatantly racist."
Do we have the right to get offended?
There is no doubt that we have the right to get offended. But what happens when you take your right and use it as a weapon?
When someone feels offended, they can say “I'm offended” or “don't tell me how to feel about this!” What does this mean for us? What does it mean for our relationship with each other? In order for there to be any kind of healthy communication between people (and not just in social situations), we must agree upon what constitutes a violation of their personal boundaries and what should be treated as an attack on their dignity as human beings — which means acknowledging that every person has a different set of standards when it comes to what constitutes an offense against them.
Will we ever again be able to say things that may be insulting, but are nonetheless true, without causing offence?
You might be surprised to learn that the right to offend is a human right, just like the right to free speech and the right to privacy. It's also under threat, which means we must defend it and protect it. The fact that this right has been under attack for so long makes it clear that something must change: We need a new approach—one that values freedom over fear and respect over offence.
And if you think about it for a moment or two, there's one thing we can do today in order for this change: Don't be offended!
From the Bible to Shakespeare, from Charlemagne to Jesus not a single human being has ever been offended; it's a modern invention.
From the Bible to Shakespeare, from Charlemagne to Jesus not a single human being has ever been offended; it's a modern invention. Offence is a reaction to something that has been said or done. It’s not about feeling bad about being told off in public—that was just an invention of our society too!
In fact, if you look at ancient societies where people weren't allowed to get away with anything then there wasn't any such thing as offence either because there was no need for it. You could insult someone by calling them names like “stupid” or “worthless” but these words were just insults thrown at people out of anger and frustration rather than true statements about their character or worthiness (also known as insults).
"Why can't you just listen to my opinion about an issue, and then know why I'm right?"
Why can't you just listen to my opinion about an issue, and then know why I'm right?
Because your opinion is not necessarily right. You might have a better one than mine. And even if you're wrong, it's still possible for me to learn from your perspective as well—or even worse, move on without having learned anything at all.
Because there may be other opinions that are right and should be respected just as much as yours are (or more). I could get into the whole "your opinion doesn't matter" argument here, but let's keep things simple: If someone has a different opinion than yours on the same topic and they're willing to share their thoughts with you properly...well...that's great! And since everyone has different experiences growing up in different places around the world—and therefore holds different worldviews—it shouldn't surprise anyone when those views diverge over time or under different circumstances. But what does surprise people sometimes is how quickly one person will try convincing another person that theirs is correct simply because they've been told so many times by authority figures throughout their lives (teachers/professors) who claim certain truths as factoids proven indisputably true by science.
We live in a culture where people feel they must respond. They quickly tweet or post on their IG stories their feelings on whatever matter is upsetting them. And they seem determined to prove they were personally affected.
The rise of social media has made it easier to express your opinion. In fact, people seem determined to prove they were personally affected by whatever matters most—whether it’s an election or a natural disaster. If you are offended by something someone says online, there are several options for responding:
● Posting a response on your own Facebook page or Twitter account (or even emailing friends). This can feel satisfying because you have control over the conversation and can talk about it openly with others who may be interested in hearing what you have to say. But keep in mind that this method may lead other people down the same path as before! You might find yourself spending time writing more than just one comment about someone else's post; so make sure not to drown out all other voices with yours!
● Hiding behind anonymity (but don't worry I’ll explain how below). This works best when dealing with trolls who get especially mad when they're met head-on; however, if someone offends your sensibilities without meaning too much harm—and even if they don't—you should still respond politely but firmly enough so as not hurt their feelings further."
Everyone seems determined to express their outrage at the slightest provocation - and others seem obliged to apologise for any perceived slight, l whether they meant it or not.
It's a sad fact that many people seem determined to express their outrage at the slightest provocation - and others seem obliged to apologise for any perceived slight, whether they meant it or not. This is particularly true on social media, where people are more likely to take offence if they are not in a good mood.
For example: you're having an argument with your partner about something small and petty; then one of your friends’ posts something inflammatory on Twitter (or Facebook), which makes it onto your newsfeed as a notification; this triggers your fight-or-flight response and suddenly all you want is someone else's attention so that you can lash out at them instead - even though this would only make matters worse!
These days, being offended is a full-time career option and being outraged has become a national hobby - even if it means you're forced to take offence at what is clearly meant as irony or sarcasm.
It's a sad fact of life that nowadays, being offended is a full-time career option and being outraged has become a national hobby - even if it means you're forced to take offence at what is clearly meant as irony or sarcasm.
It used to be that we could laugh at pretty much anything without fear of retribution; now there are people who will send you death threats over jokes they didn't understand. And while this seems like an extreme example (and it's certainly not one I'd want), there have been plenty of other cases where someone has been publicly shamed for something they did not mean literally or as intended by the writer/artist/director/etc., but which was taken out of context when presented online due to bad journalism or social media outrage culture becoming more prevalent than ever before.
Perhaps we might all feel happier if each of us stopped worrying about what other people said. Or why they said it. And instead concentrated on making our own lives better by doing less complaining and more doing. 'Cause there's always someone out there who'll be offended by your reaction!
The right to be offended was a modern invention. It's not in the Magna Carta, and it wasn't written down until more than 200 years after that. Before then, there was no such thing as "offending" someone else—everyone did what they wanted and said what they thought without worrying about how it might affect anyone else.
Today we've got all sorts of laws against things like hate speech or discrimination based on race or gender identity (or whatever). But we don't have any laws protecting us from being offended by our fellow citizens—and even worse: some people think that if you're not being offensive yourself but still get insulted by someone else's words (even if those words aren't considered "offensive"), then you should just shut up about it!
Conclusion
This is the beginning of a new age, where everyone can get along with each other because they all have their own opinions and feelings. Everyone should stop worrying about what other people think about them - and instead focus on what makes them happy.
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