Stop Being So Offended

[Listen to an audio version of this blog HERE.]

If there is one thing that has become blatantly obvious in recent days/weeks/months/years it’s that the threshold for offending people has dropped lower and lower and suddenly, we cannot call homeless people homeless anymore (they are now, “people experiencing homelessness”). We are asked to place our preferred pronouns in professional email signatures and terms like “master bedroom” have been slashed from the lexicon. We draw a line at sexism, but sometimes we push that line too far, claiming that such minor actions as opening a door might be construed as sexist. Same with an ism, it seems. And I’m not being radical, I’m just trying to be reasonable.

In an age of relative comfort and ease, we find subtle things to complain about and take offense over. In doing so, we disempower ourselves. We teach each other that the words of others have the power to seriously hurt us. Sometimes they do. Most of the time, they don’t.

It was recently announced that Australian schools are looking to ban students from raising their hands in class under the assumption that banning the raising of hands will increase engagement from students who don’t normally raise their hands. As a person who didn’t love contributing in class, I’m not sure that’s true. Not everyone wants to talk, whether or not a hand raise is required. Then…