Sorry, but it’s your fault if you’re offended all the time

If you opine that 1+1=3, why should I find that offensive ipso facto?

 

Karma

Actually I really should be offended. How about if I say I am offended by all the weak minded people that say they are offended?

 

You're weak minded by being affected by the weak minded people's offense... so you yourself are offended by your own lack of mental willpower.

 

Nowadays microaggressions are often the results of political and social provocations, and that's the long story.

 

As presented by Walsh I agree. Its a tough line. I think it used to be called insensitivity, which to me seems a better word. "Aggression" , micro or otherwise implies a hostile intent, and as I understand it, microaggression has no intent whatsoever.

Any society has cultural assumptions (stereotypes). We assign roles to vast groups of people and assume individuals from those groups follow our narrative. This can be grating to individuals who either disagree with the narrative or simply see themselves outside the norm.

Its an element of systemic inequities which is complex enough to be misunderstood by most. Many of the little assumptions that contribute to systemic inequity can be beneficial at times to the minority or sub group. This creates confusion and tends to provide fuel for deniers.

However, if we simply try to put ourselves in the shoes of the other who faces the same irritating assumptions over and over again, its not hard to see how they might become offensive.

 

I believe it is both easy and hard to overcome this problem. It is easy because everything we need to do is a slight change of attitude to political debates. In Europe politicians and general public never aggressive and hateful rhetoric. It requires political culture and respect. It is hard because American style of presenting yourself in public is completely different.

 

Ah yes, the old blame the victim dodge.
How quaintly absurd of you.