Taking Offense...

[JDGameArt]

Take offense - to feel, and show, resentment at another's actions or words.

 

Can someone clue me in as to why taking offense, or being offended is such a high strung topic in todays media outlets and social networks? (emphasis on politics)

 

I can honestly sit here and say; I can't get out of bed in the morning and finish out the day with out being put in some position where I could be offended. The guy that cut me off in traffic, the woman that butt in line at the gas station, the person who didn't care for the song I was talking about, or one of my black friends poking fun at white stereotypes... All perfect examples of things that someone could be offended by.

 

I mean whats the worst thing that can happen if you are offended? Are you going to go home and cry? Are you going to rally, and protest? Are you going to give up on life, and go live in a cave? To put it briefly, I feel theres so much growing tension between people all over the globe which is partly being fueled by this idea of taking offense, offending, and what a persons going to do if they are offended.

 

Or...

 

Am I completely off-basis with this, and there rely isn't a problem as described above?

[myrmaad]

Your "choosing" not to take offense, does not equate to an offense being less offensive. Life is short. pick your battles.

[JimboUK]

There are an alarming number of people who seem to enjoy being offended, they love it so much that they also get offended on behalf of others. I just treat these people with the contempt they deserve, I'm not going to change my behaviour just to cater for those who have a sense of humour bypass.

[Overmind267]

That is definately a great point. I like to think some people just love the thrill of being offended. You see, unless many members of the media are actually just really, and I mean really sensitive, it's hard to believe they get offended as much as they claim to be.

 

I like to think it's more to sway an audience with the "oh my GOD! You don't agree with me!?" brand of argument rather than by bringing up legitimate points. Emotional rants still hold more base than ones with actual substance...you know, with facts and actual information. Sadly.

 

I certainly believe you bring up a valid point and it is becoming an issue. Rather than take the time to point out facts and reasons why one party disagrees with another, T.V. in media and many other sources display adults lowering themselves to name-calling, emotional ranting, and incoherent rambling.

[bben46]

Being offended is a choice. You can choose to not be offended. Or, you can choose to be offended by anything that you don't like.

 

If some one says or does something that could possibly be taken as offensive, you can choose to assume it was not intended to be - and usually be right. Very few people actually intend to offend. - There are exceptions though. :rolleyes:

 

Different things may offend people from different cultures. And you may never know when something that you take as normal will be considered offensive to someone brought up in another culture. Or when someone from another culture accidentally offends you with something that is considered normal in their culture.

 

I'm not sure who said it first. :thumbsup:

I take offense that you are offended.

[greywaste]

for those who have a sense of humour bypass.

 

You realise Jim that at some point in this threads lifespan, somebody is going to come along and twist those words to mean "I'm a racist, sexist, homophobe and I don't give a damn!" :tongue:

I learned my lesson a long time ago so a blanket solution for the thin skin problem that I adopted was to just generally stop talking to people, that way potentially 'offensive' topics never get the chance to come up. :)

 

Good old Identity politics, for when simple ideals weren't enough :facepalm:

Edited November 7, 2011 by greywaste

[JimboUK]

for those who have a sense of humour bypass.

 

You realise Jim that at some point in this threads lifespan, somebody is going to come along and twist those words to mean "I'm a racist, sexist, homophobe and I don't give a damn!" :tongue:

I learned my lesson a long time ago so a blanket solution for the thin skin problem that I adopted was to just generally stop talking to people, that way potentially 'offensive' topics never get the chance to come up. :)

 

Good old Identity politics, for when simple ideals weren't enough :facepalm:

 

I see it as a free speech thing, you either have free speech or you don't, those who seem to spend most of their life getting offended are usually those who don't share your opinion and want you to shut up.

 

On Twitter I've been called racist, sexist and homophobic. I've never made a racist, sexist or homophobic tweet because I'm not any of them, what I have done is question levels of immigration, the rights of gays being put above the rights of Christians in their own home and the worst sin of all which is to suggest women don't need special treatment.

[myrmaad]

"women don't need special treatment"

 

Since my parts are a lot more complicated than yours a doctor who is reasonably able to deal with your problems is not reasonably able to deal with mine without a more specialized level of expertise, based on gender alone.

 

I don't get offended, I just write people off.

[JimboUK]

"women don't need special treatment"

 

Since my parts are a lot more complicated than yours a doctor who is reasonably able to deal with your problems is not reasonably able to deal with mine without a more specialized level of expertise, based on gender alone.

 

I don't get offended, I just write people off.

 

I'm talking about special treatment in the workplace, politics, ect. All those things that suggest women are somehow deficient.

[ginnyfizz]

Now then jim_uk, politically you and I are often somewhat on the same page, but in the beginning, the special treatment of women in the workplace, politics etc had more to do with counterbalancing the deficient attitude of SOME men. I say not you, personally, or anyone in particular, but there were and are many who still believed/believe that a woman's place is in the home. However, now that the barriers have been broken down, the special treatment needs to be looked at and questioned as to whether it is really necessary.