Political correctness - what do you think about it?

Question

Is it a good or bad thing?

Does it contribute towards racial and religious harmony or does it antagonise and cause resentment?

Answer 1

Your question is about human conduct and one of the true measures of a man or woman. The issue of "political correctness" is blurred with several other issues:

Courtesy: It is not so much about being politically correct or incorrect as it is an issue of common human decency to use language, for example, that does not offend others. A man I know gives the Hitler "salute" in public to show his dismay over the Bush Administration. I have asked him to stop because, as a nurse, I have seen too many concentration camp tattoos on little old people's arms to not undertand the horrors that a gesture like that salute can conjure up in a victim of the Nazis. To conjure up horror in someone is not correct.

Correctness: The problem with the social concept of "correctness" is that it is an abstraction, a subjective interpretation, an individual's or group's arbritary perspective that is based on their particular and unique conditions. For example, one village may be greatly offended by men with beards. So, they hang all men with beards. Another village may be offended by men without beards. So, they hang all men without beards. Both have actually happened because of people who believe in, "It's OUR way or NO way". ( See "Fascism" below). Ignorant, less socially mature people make grave errors in judgement about reality and what actually leads to goodness and health. (See "Febble-mindedness and Magical Thinking" below). The rise of mankind is largely due to our learning to discern between what we subjectively believe to be correct from what we learn from nature to be objectively correct. We want to be "correct" because we want to survive and thrive and not suffer. We rise as a species, as societies and as individuals toward a better understanding of true "health" and balance. True "correctness" should hail from a premise of "What is truly healthy?" For example, freedom of speech is limited under this premise. The sound pollution from radios played too loudly we know to be unhealthy for the hearing and psychological well-being of those around us.

Learning Curves: Individuals, societies and our species rise in developmental stages. A neolithic tribe might be at the stage of development in which men dominate over women and consider them property. Thus, they may believe that they are correct in conducting genital mutilations on the women in their tribe. From a loftier stage of development, genital mutilation offends us, although our own ancestors conducted smiliar mutilations on women. When peoples of different stages of the learning curve interact, the concept of political correctness doesn't apply and it interferes with the critical problem-solving that we need to be doing related to the crashing waves of sensibilities and the social turmoil of adjusting to globalization.

Fascism and Domination: Fascism is the imposition of the doctrines of one group that they force onto other groups. Political correctness is a tool historically used by fascists to coerce people into being afraid of speaking up. I had suspicions of fascism at work, for example, when presidential candidate Dean was socially attacked for sounding "angry" about the war in the Middle East. When did it get "politically incorrect" to sound angry about war? It is now "politically incorrect" in this nation to wear anti-Bush tee-shirts or risk detainment by the Secret Service, as many Americans are suing the current president for having done to them. That is not correct or healthy. That is fascism.

Feeble-mindedness and Magical-Thinking: Fascism works only on the feeble-minded and they are then used to silence any "non-conformers". For example, it is now "politically incorrect" not to smoke a cigarette within 25 feet of a public entrance in the state of Washington. But, the gas powered vehicals that we drive release over 300X more pollutants into the environment in one day than does one cigarette smoker in one year. Cigarette smoking is bad for health. But, it is not nearly as bad as using fossile fuels when there have long been alternatives. Fascism works especially well on "group guilt". Feeble-minded people lack the knowledge, tools of rationality and prioritorization skills necessary to maintain their freedom of thought. And, they are myoptic and see only the trees, not the forest. Fascists use "political correctness" and other diversionary tactics to control the masses and refocus them away from the real problems. And fascists promote and create an environment in which the feeble-minded feel that they have permission to be pushy and to impose their own doctrines and sensibilities on others. For example, a woman posted a "question" here on Yahoo Answers demanding that everyone admit that the United States was a Christian nation or else get out.

Taking a Stand: I was not "politically correct" in my response to that women. I took a stand and demanded that SHE, not I, leave this nation if she was unable to abide by our nation's brilliant principles of democracy and common ground. We all have many different sensibilities and they can all be offended. But, social conscience and mututal respect supercede any individual's or groups' set of abstractions and sensibilities. It may not be "politically correct" to stand up to Christian Crackers in a Christian Craker moment, but, it is absolutely truly correct and healthy to push right back when someone pushes you with a threat that may endanger your survival or well-being. Pushing BACK is politically incorrect only to a fascist. Burning the American flag may offend some people's sensibilities, but you have to admire people who push back at fascism.

Tolerance: "Political correctness" tends to be about focusing on making people understand us and forcing them to abide by our meanings and abstractions. Whereas, to be truly correct and healthy in the long run, our focus should be on understanding other people and their meanings and abstractions and coming to grips with our differences and learning how to peacefully co-exist. A true measure of a man or woman is tolerance, not feeble-minded or fascist self-serving sensibilites.

Answer 2

Everyone is afraid to say what they think because everyone wants to be a hero in a sense. We live in a culture of heros, whether they be superheros like Superman and the XMen or heros like Indiana Jones, or Captain Kirk. And nothing is less becoming to being a hero than any kind of hate towards any group, women, old people, minorites, homosexuals, etc. Take an example of what the Fonz once said (another hero type) "Racism, aint cool!".

Answer 3

you're making a brilliant component. would I counter? Political correctness would desire to on no account be enforced with the aid of a central authority. notwithstanding, government workers would desire to play with the aid of diverse regulations. I even have became human beings in who worked on the BMV for mistreating Hispanic purchasers. do they might desire to love Latinos? No. have they have been given the spectacular to maintain their interest for for sure treating human beings of diverse backgrounds in a various way? No, returned. I strongly help unfastened speech, even for those i come across despicable. yet do no longer assume me to comprehend you in case you continuously use disrepectful language.

Answer 4

Antagonise and cause resentment.

Answer 5

Some times I get dam tired of all the sh*t. An yes sometimes it causes resentment.

Answer 6

I think it's a bunch of hogwash! This society has become so thin skinned...ooops now I've probably offended someone that has a disease that causing the skin to thin! Pretty soon we will be so afraid to speak in fear of offending someone that we will become a society of mutes!

Answer 7

Personally, I think it's turning this world into a timid world where everyone's afraid to say what's really on their minds. Honesty is masked by euphemisms and everyone is hyper-sensitive.

Answer 8

In reality are any of us politically correct? Besides what is political correctness? Does it actually make sense?

Answer 9

well i agree and disagree with it. I think it is a nice way of telling someone off and on the filp side it isw a nice way of telliing someone off

Answer 10

political correctness is stupid to me because if your parents raised you right then you are not affected by race or religion

Answer 11

Its correct