Does political correctness do more harm than good?
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Does political correctness hide hatred and thus do more harm than good to society?
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A lot of times it does cause problems.
The main issue is that it prevents any and all discussion on certain topics. In the UK, for example, you can't talk about welfare reform without being accused of hating the poor.
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On what level would it hide hatred. Not all people use PC terms, this in a way it shows hatred. Also not all PC terms deal with race some with gender. It use to be policeman, then policewoman, then police officer now it is law enforcement officer. Society needs to move away from gender specific terms and for the English language that will be difficult since there really are no non-gender pronouns. He and She, It.
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For myself, it has helped me evolve on race, gender and class issues. I find when I have to stop and think about what I'm about to say, maybe look at it from the other person's (or peoples) perspective, over time I've become more empathetic to them. For me, I'm reprogramming some of those misguided and ignorant things I've been taught.
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I think it does more harm than good. Political correctness has its place, at least in my mind, and that is to help encourage dialogues around issues that generally bring out strong opinions on all sides of hot button issues. In many cases, it allows discussion of those topics in a noninflammatory way, if all parties agree to be politically correct.
But, at the same time, it often does discourage someone from saying what they really want to say. Many times people stumble around a discussion trying to figure out how to say something nicely, and the conversation moves on, because the proper words never come and the thought is lost.
In that case, I'd rather hear the non pc words so at least I know the thoughts of the discussion participant, rather than completely missing their stance just because flowery language doesn't come to mind.
I'd rather hear a person say "Poor people should get a job." than not have a person say that, even though they believe it, because they can't find a nicer way to say it. At least the thought is out there and it can then be discussed. One can then start discussing what it actually takes to get a job…ie. resume/skills, clothing for an interview, transportation to get to an interview, or if you are really talking basics: an address to use as a home, an ID or driver's license, a social security number and card, a phone number to be reached at, a freshly groomed appearance and smell.
People take for granted all the little things they don't realize that they have in place in their lives to be able to say that "poor people should get a job", when that poor person might not have ANY of that in place. But political correctness can very often keep points of view from being shared, which means the counterpoint and enlightenment as to why something isn't so simple or easy is also not shared
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dons his flame-retardant suit
Perhaps I'm just apathetic, or maybe even somewhat nihilistic, but I always find it kind of funny (read: embarrassing and obnoxious) when certain sensitive souls get offended for me whenever anyone makes a ____-ist remark that might be applied to me… because, honestly, I am not phased by such inconsequential things.
I think it's fine and good if you want to try to be politically correct and accommodating yourself. I try to do the same, but it's a bit too easy for westerners (namely young, self-loathing university students) to get carried away with enforcing concepts like "social justice", and it's often only because it makes them feel better about themselves, or because it gives them a scapegoat to blame everything wrong in their lives on except themselves.
I know, I've been there. I was in my early 20's once, too. Then I got a little bit older and learned how to view things objectively, without the ethical blinders of moral absolutes.
Honestly, I'm a very liberal person, but I think all the eggshell-walking, knee-jerk reactionaries out there do more harm than good by alienating everyone around them, and I'm really not interested in having people like them fight my battles for me. I'm a big boy now, thanks. Maybe if I lived in Russia or a predominantly Muslim country where LGBT people are equated with pedophiles and considered genuine criminals, but I live in the west, with a bunch of bored and overfed people who have nothing better to do than stir the pot.
I respect and encourage activism that promotes genuine equality, especially in places where real oppression still exists, but I'm not interested in being associated with the politeness police who have nothing better to do here than piss and moan just so they can feel better about their dull, empty existences in Western Europe and North America.
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Makes you think only through some centered perspective.. wich makes you an limited mind pearson!
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Political correctness is quite evil indeed.
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Political correct this might not be the problem but the double standard discount to the different groups is
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The thing is, basically the whole 'political correctness' stigma came about because some political groups decided to try and shame people for being more tolerant, inclusive, and considerate. They decided that calling it being 'politically correct' and making it out to be like some brain-damaged oversensitivity would create a backlash…which they helped to foster. It's led handily to the modern sociopolitical climate of a bunch of people acting out in ways that would embarrass a toddler to pearl-clutching disdain, all with the handy excuse that they're 'against political correctness' -- because who wants to think about other people bearing social labels you don't share?
This whole issue boils down to people wanting to have excuses for being assholes and trying to shame people that make them realise they're not always good people. There's always been a huge amount of contempt for people who try and consider others' feelings, try and help those less fortunate or in different circumstances, even people who protect and help animals who have no other defenders...and that's what this dialogue boils down to: people excusing their immature, irresponsible, intolerant behaviour and pointing to 'political correctness', which has been handily savaged and has nothing whatsoever to do with political anything.
The actual things people to, to consider the feelings, circumstances, and social groupings of others, are good and beneficial to society. The whole 'politically correct' debate, however, has far outlived its day. Call a spade a spade. But of course, in politics, we can't do that, and the only people who are open and plain-spoken tend to be morons like Donald Trump, who wouldn't know a spade from a tiffany lamp.
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In order to be politically correct, you have to lie and avoid facing the truth in yourself and others.
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The major proponents for political correctness often seem the most bigoted people imaginable. You can honestly find neo-Nazis that are more tolerant than those that suggest being PC is at all a good thing.
I've been surprised how many people that push for such crap actually have the gall to suggest things like pedophilia deserve acceptance in society, even when the pedophiles they're wanting to defend have talked of molesting children. Along with crazed fucks often defending Islam even when they're calling for the execution of gays (apparently it's 'Islamophobic' to suggest to them that Islamic societies executing gays is wrong).
A lot of the problems with PC culture seem to stem from people finding pride in being offended, leading them to trying to be offended by anything they see. There was the semi-famous story of Rebecca Watson (?) who at an Atheism conference complained that being asked if she wanted to have coffee in someone's room was akin to rape, and when people laughed at her on twitter she diagnosed herself as having PTSD, and got a soldier in trouble who was insulted by her suggestion of having PTSD due to saying something online (think it was getting him discharged or court marshaled).
There's just too many people that want to play the Oppression Olympics, coming up with new ways to consider themselves harassed or discriminated against (the UN even had people go there in the past couple weeks suggesting it was harassment that people disagree with them online and that it should be censored). Then there's also all the people that want to feel morally superior to others by pandering to those engaging in the Oppression Olympics. They want to justify how people can feel discriminated against (because some guys sat on a train with their legs spread or disagreed with them about something), which leads to some of the most deranged logic imaginable to try and suggest these feelings of 'discrimination' actually made sense.
It should also seems worth repeating that those that push PC culture often have no issue with being assholes, they just to justify it through PC language so they can feel morally superior to those they send death threats to or just plain harass various individuals.
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There's a big difference between someone simply being polite and being extremely politically correct!
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Why is it so hard for people to be polite? They is so much hate all around, why do you need to fan the flames. As my mother told me, "If you have nothing polite to say, keep you damn BIG mouth SHUT! It is better to say nothing than to hurt someone in any way. I do not understand or know why people need to be so hateful among one another, our lives are short and we should enjoy each day that is given to us. If do not like what someone says or does, then walk away or do not watch.
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The idea that political correctness is a bad thing is so ridiculous, political correctness is nothing other than society evolving into people being more sensitive and generally better people in terms of how they treat others. This is something you can see in higher education now, the LANGUAGE that people use is directly correlating with the way that they treat other people. As a linguist I can say that the words we use and the way we express themselves have a lasting impact on the way we think and the way we treat other people, so it's important to do that.
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Political correctness is just an attempt to suppress free speech. The sooner political correctness is discarded into the trash bin of history, the better.
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As a Uni student I feel like if politically correct language is something you want to use, PC opinions the opinions you want to advocate for, fine that's your choice, no problem. The problem is this is about more than politeness or sensitivity, it is censoring not just words but also opinions. When you start codifying it and enforcing it on other people, as is happening on some campuses, it becomes authoritarian :police: and intolerant of dissent. Like who gave you the authority to decide what can be said/who can speak? You're not only taking away the opportunity of the speaker you are also robbing everyone else who wanted to listen and decide for themselves. Basically taking control for your own viewpoint. I've always thought myself leftist but can't side with ppl who want to control language or shout down others you disagree with, that's just illiberal.
Gay comedian Dave Rubin has a great youtube channel where he interviews guests about this kinda stuff, if anyone is interested. "The Rubin Report"
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The idea that political correctness is a bad thing is so ridiculous, political correctness is nothing other than society evolving into people being more sensitive and generally better people in terms of how they treat others. This is something you can see in higher education now, the LANGUAGE that people use is directly correlating with the way that they treat other people. As a linguist I can say that the words we use and the way we express themselves have a lasting impact on the way we think and the way we treat other people, so it's important to do that.
"people being more sensitive" to what? "generally better people" to who?
There are people sensitive to clapping. I'm not even kidding. There are people that feel it's just too much for them to have people clap in an audience and to be more sensitive to their needs, they do JAZZ HANDS.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/24/feminist-conference-says-clapping-triggers-anxiety/
And generally better people to who? Many of those preaching for Political Correctness use their own deranged definitions to say that men cannot be raped and instead just "victims of non-consensual sex". Language certainly does affect people when they believe in these strange PC definitions, but that's not a positive thing when it means those people using that language are wanting to write off any sort of harassment or bigotry that doesn't support their world view. To many of those that say that all gay men are inherently sexist and hate women as evidenced by their lack of interest in dicking them, it is "being more sensitive" to ask gay men to recognize that they're inherently misogynistic.
PC language has hindered a lot of discussion such as occurred on Bill Maher's show recently:
Youtube VideoIn the clip, Maher talks about how a large minority of Muslims are supporting wretched things like honor killings of rape victims. The horribly politically correct woman constantly tries to ignore this and say "diversity is our strength" (rings a bit of 1984 with that) and whenever anything is brought up about this portion of Muslims supporting horrific things, she ends up implying it's wrong to talk about it because she thinks if you criticize a portion it means criticizing the whole.
The Foundation for individual Rights in Education (FIRE) seems to encounter people using PC culture to censor people as well as demand others agree with them or else.
I also have to mention, that many of those that preach for PC culture are often quite supportive of harassing others, which I wouldn't think of as being a "better person".
http://www.stopthegrbullies.com/2015/03/19/fionna-free-mans-book-pulled-from-amazon/
There's quite a few members of the PC police that find their delicate sensibilities offended, will go out and engage in campaigns to get books censored. Even Anne Rice has commented on this phenomena. Thing is, they often get upset with things that don't even exist in those books. Likely because of the echo chamber around political correct groups they do not allow for any information that contradicts them to enter the picture. Which is the root problem with political correctness, it creates echo chambers where no 'wrongthink' can enter.
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There's a huge difference between being polite and being PC.
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Bravo, Altoids528!!! :love: :love: :love:
PC is used to stifle free speech and differing opinions in most instances and used as a way to shame others. No place for it in a free society.
