Is society so easily offended by being offended around the offense of the offender?... OH GODS!!

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TheRightToArmBears

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DoPo said:
TheRightToArmBears said:
DoPo said:
omega 616 said:
Just exactly which part makes me a hypocrite?
I thought it was pretty clear - you said that people should understand others have different views and accept it. Well, you clearly don't accept others having the different view of "being offended". So yes, that part. And exacatly as you said - the offended would feel offended - so what? So what is it to you exactly? Why are you throwing a fit over it, if it shouldn't matter?
Lots of whining is irritating and can lose people their jobs, ban things and generally cause a lot of inconvenience. So yeah, throwing a shitfit every time something happens can matter, whereas actually being offended in the first place is something you can easily keep to yourself- or at least not go around making ludicrous demands over.
Right, gotcha so we should be offended of the people who are being offended as being offended is destroying the very fabric of reality and we don't want that. I think that covers it. Oh, also that offendedness is never justifiable and everybody who is offended never has the right to be. And the logic here is sound, of course, we can't miss that.
I can't speak for Omega, but that's not quite what I meant (and as far as I can remember it's not what Steven Hughes meant in that clip that gets posted all the time). Yes, people have the right to be offended, but it isn't hard to just take a few deep breaths or have a chat with your friends about it or something. At the end of the day, being offended has no real effect and there's no need to go on some Daily Mail-style moral crusade over it and demand heads roll.

Sir Thomas Sean Connery said:
Less "I wish we could all disregard people if they seem offended" and more "I wish we could all be a bit more rational and think before we act after being offended"
Oh hey, this guy gets it.
 

Hagi

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Eh, being offended is fine. No problems with that.

Acting like a righteous asshole over it is something else again. But that's to do with the righteous asshole part and not the offended part.
 

J.McMillen

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I have to agree that some people over react when something offensive is said. But what is really puzzling is when the offensive was directed at that person.

My parents love going to the theater to see musicals. They've been doing this for years. They were at one and the story took place in America during the 1800's and use the language of the day. So yes, that meant that the N-word was going to get used. Not a lot, maybe 2-3 times and used as they did back then. The audience consisted of people from pretty much all races. The only people who got up and walked out the first time the word was used, were white. No African-Americans nor any other minority got up and left, just a few white people. Given I won't walk out of $5 matinee you've got to be pretty upset to walk out on tickets that ranged from $60-$360 each.
 

Phil O'Sweeny

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Aug 3, 2012
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Spoiler: Anyone who says that "Society" doesn't like something is really just saying either "I don't like something" or "Someone might not like this and you could get in trouble".
"Society" doesn't think anything, or more accurately it thinks everything, because it is everyone. If you think something then society thinks what you think too. You are just as much a part of society as everyone else.
Noone really has much of a clue what "society" thinks; even opinion poll takers completely lose all the nuance and reasoning that sits behind the answers given. Even if "Everyone" comes to the same conclusion on something, there can be hundreds of different ways to come to that same conclusion, ways most people will have never even contemplated. Most will automaticly assume that anyone agreeing with them has the exact same reasoning though, but you just don't ever know until you ask in detail.

TLDR; You are society just as much as anyone. Society may disagree with you but it also agrees with you too. People who say society is against something are barely telling even half the story.
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

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Society in general is getting way too uptight about a lot of things to the point where even making a joke centered around certain topics means getting publicly trashed because of it. Its one thing if you were to go on TV or Radio or write a news piece where you genuinely slander or libel someone's "good name". Its another thing when you tell a joke and people get stupid mad because of it.
I feel as if sometimes we're in a backwards society where its ok to be vulgar as hell as long as you're PC about it.
 

BloatedGuppy

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Oh FFS. Again? I'm offended by this forum's perpetual obsession with waging war on the offended. Hey guys, if you're going to go through life wearing your late teens/early 20's ideas of "keepin' it real" on your sleeve, you're going to offend a few people. Some of those people might even tell you what they think. If you recoil in disgust at their judgment of your values, then you are exhibiting offense. Oh noes.
 

pspman45

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that's how you make a million bucks!
people like to get offended, that's why "edgy" humor is in right now. people want to see others get offended, and people like to get offended about things
 

Uhura

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Aug 30, 2012
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VanQ said:
Funnily enough, in all the time I've been on this site, since 2009 I hadn't received a single warning and in the last 48 hours I've received three due to people that I disagreed with abusing the report button. It's gotten to a point on forums like these where disagreeing with someone equates to "being mean" or "rude" to your fellow users.
You're not getting warnings because people "abuse the report button". That's not how the report button works on the forums. You are getting warnings for breaking the forum rules. I don't get this need to blame others for your own mistakes. I mean, if you post stuff like this, it's no wonder you get warnings:

VanQ:
At risk of receiving a warning for being too mean... Congratulations. You have just posted the dumbest thing I have ever seen or read on the internet ever. Great job man.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.833966-The-Big-Bang-Theory#20398181
 

wulf3n

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DoPo said:
omega 616 said:
People have different views, accept that
It's funny how you say that and yet you don't accept that others can have a different view and you can't accept that.

Just wanted to note it.
thaluikhain said:
Exactly.

Going off on a slight tangent, there seems to be this idea that freedom of speech is so important nobody is allowed to criticise what people say (though it's alright to criticise them).

Secondly, it's very tempting to simply dismiss people's concerns about things as then just being "offended", and needing a thicker skin. Now, yeah, you can say that if you want, freedom of speak and all, but it's very disingenuous.
I think when people talk about being offended they're not talking about someone who just voices their alternate opinion they're talking about things like this [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fired-tech-world-roils-big-dongles-article-1.1296841] or this [http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/12/microsofts-rape-joke-at-e3-gaming-event-sparks-outrage/].

Situations where the people offended consider the act almost criminal and expect/try to change things accordingly.
 

Vegosiux

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There's a difference between "Dude, not cool; tone it down!"-offended and "WHAT!? YOU HELLSPAWN OF HELLISH HELLS! THERE SHOULD BE A LAW AGAINST PEOPLE LIKE YOU EXISTING!"-offended.

And that's all I'm going to say on the matter.
 

Nosirrah

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ParsonOSX said:
Hello Escapist


Mostly I have noticed in the UK that whenever something bad or just stupid happens on TV, either the BBC or ITV get complaints from angry views about certain issues. A presenter accidentally swears with a slip of the tongue, people send in their emails and some even DEMAND I SAY for the said presenter to be sacked or suspended. Relax viewers it was a slip of the tongue on live tele. I've heard worse on the bus, and tube, and schools, and hospitals and just everywhere.
case in point:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/13/charlene-white-newsreader_n_4265355.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

yeah, for a country who's stereotype is that we are the most gentlemanly of all, we don't live up to it.
 

Parasondox

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Nosirrah said:
ParsonOSX said:
Hello Escapist


Mostly I have noticed in the UK that whenever something bad or just stupid happens on TV, either the BBC or ITV get complaints from angry views about certain issues. A presenter accidentally swears with a slip of the tongue, people send in their emails and some even DEMAND I SAY for the said presenter to be sacked or suspended. Relax viewers it was a slip of the tongue on live tele. I've heard worse on the bus, and tube, and schools, and hospitals and just everywhere.
case in point:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/13/charlene-white-newsreader_n_4265355.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

yeah, for a country who's stereotype is that we are the most gentlemanly of all, we don't live up to it.
Those people who sent her abuse with sexist and racist messages forgot something called freedom of speech but yet having a go at her saying things like she supports the Germans. That just makes me sick. Its her freedom not to wear one for what ever reason. Its like with Jon Snow last year on Channel 4 where he refused to wear one and it weren't be he didn't support the troops cause in actual fact he did and still does support them alot. I think he was making a point that a person shouldn't have to wear a poppy on TV just to show respect and that you can do it in other ways. The minority of narrow minded people put a bad name in this country.
 

DoPo

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Jan 30, 2012
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wulf3n said:
DoPo said:
omega 616 said:
People have different views, accept that
It's funny how you say that and yet you don't accept that others can have a different view and you can't accept that.

Just wanted to note it.
thaluikhain said:
Exactly.

Going off on a slight tangent, there seems to be this idea that freedom of speech is so important nobody is allowed to criticise what people say (though it's alright to criticise them).

Secondly, it's very tempting to simply dismiss people's concerns about things as then just being "offended", and needing a thicker skin. Now, yeah, you can say that if you want, freedom of speak and all, but it's very disingenuous.
I think when people talk about being offended they're not talking about someone who just voices their alternate opinion they're talking about things like this [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fired-tech-world-roils-big-dongles-article-1.1296841] or this [http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/12/microsofts-rape-joke-at-e3-gaming-event-sparks-outrage/].

Situations where the people offended consider the act almost criminal and expect/try to change things accordingly.
So, yet again, I'm stuck by my comp[lete and utter inability to understand people. I mean OF COURSE when somebody says "A" they actually mean "A with a bunch of if conditions" - I mean, how was I supposed to NOT get that immediately. It's not like we have a language that allows for clear expression of ideas...

Oh, wait, we do. And that's what people were supposed to use. Huh. Sorry, then, seems to be not my fault.
 

Daverson

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It's a well known fact the best form of defence is offence. Perhaps these people who demand we stop offending are the real terrorists?
 

Diddy_Mao

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For me the problem comes when people mistake the right to be offended with the right to not be.

I could write a laundry list of things that your textbook Conservative Christian says does or believes that offend me on a general or personal level.

However I won't in a million years say they can't do, think or say those things because I don't have the right to not be offended by them. I can't make them do or say things just because I find them reprehensible.

Damn shame I can't expect the same courtesy in kind.
 

wulf3n

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DoPo said:
So, yet again, I'm stuck by my comp[lete and utter inability to understand people. I mean OF COURSE when somebody says "A" they actually mean "A with a bunch of if conditions" - I mean, how was I supposed to NOT get that immediately. It's not like we have a language that allows for clear expression of ideas...
I'm not saying that is what the OP was saying, just what I believe they are implying.

DoPo said:
Oh, wait, we do. And that's what people were supposed to use. Huh.
If we're talking about the English language then no we don't :p

DoPo said:
Sorry, then, seems to be not my fault.
Who's saying you're at fault? and for what?
 

beettams2013

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When I am reading these comments I notice in this threads have several contradicting perspectives, one saying we should accept being offended because that's what we do anyways in this country, others want to be more careful of how we say to each other. I am anticipated all of us know that, all of us are born into this country oblivious of what we will encounter to in later of life. Many of us may learn through education late, and/or many of us learned early of which colony to be in because knowing that this other colony is not something they would not want to be involve in.

To make a short cut, no doubt people involves into emotional which then becomes confusion then to obsession, possibility effects the "ism" that comes up in the dictionary. And something triggers them to become hate in the society which also leads to cling with "correct people or objects" and close out the "uncomfortable zone".

Currently government and states are providing services to citizens who cant help themselves and becomes dependents, for a reason of, mental psychology issues, disabilities, veterans with posttraumatic disorders, and millions of tax dependents. And in Corporations speculates policies to ensure the citizens are using proper languages in their field and some citizens don't adapt to the policies because families and friends thinks offending people is the "norm" that are relates to beliefs, religion or culture adaptation. When offending happens first causes states of confusion, then anger(to some jolly people skips this) then back to cloudy judgments for a LENGTH of time then sometimes too late for this person becomes trigger happy or being happily to offend back the same person or somebody else because of the previous person does it. So this nature becomes unsure about one another, and becomes enterprise at something for themselves to take pride at and don't stop for a moment to think about other people feelings faces consequences, the companies and employees are paying great amount of taxes to government to keep the majority of tax dependents citizen from getting into depression, because they are not good enough to be in a "great colony."

Pardon my English, its my secondary language.
 

Specter Von Baren

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VanQ said:
We are the first generation to have no group or person that we could consider a genuine threat to our safety and well being. Thus, we as a peaceful generation have invented our own boogey men to call to arms against. The patriarchy/terrorists/the government/what-have-you.

It's not that there are no wars or anything at the moment, it's just with the US and several other countries sitting on such dangerous stockpiles of nuclear ammunition, no one really wants to be responsible for the nuclear war that could happen.

And I'm also not claiming everything in the world is perfect and there's no room for improvement. It's just that when compared to just about any point in history, we have it really damn good.
Another part of this is communication. It used to be that people didn't hear about things going on outside of their communities or maybe even their own house if they didn't live near anyone. And so because of this there was less chance of them to be offended by something that someone else did. But now that we can all learn about almost anything the other billions of people in the world are up to, the chances of hearing something that would offend you is so much higher.

Edit: Also, because no one else has used the quote yet, I'm going to put it here.

?It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so fucking what."
-Stephen Fry
 

FalloutJack

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It's impossible to please everyone. People are unpleaseable by nature.