Why are we offended by comments that have nothing to do with us?

Question

For instance. I am a disabled person. If an able bodied person wishes to call me names refering to my illness I don't find it offensive. I feel sad for them because they seem to have alot of contemptible feelings but I don't feel the need to throw my hands about (that's if I had 2 hands) rave and scream and go on about being PC. Able-bodied people seem more offended for me than I am. Anyone got a clue why?

Relax Gizmo, I mean in life.

Rightio, I have been called a Spacker so many times in my life it's water off a ducks back. Funnily enough it happened today and my witty retort was "yeah and your ugly"

Answer 1

Some people do it out of the sub-conscious need to protect you; you should just say:

"it's okay it doesn't bother me; really I can fight my own battles"

Others just have nothing better to do with their time and decide to fight for every little cause and fight over every little thing; these people live to annoy and live to complain, they are simply complaining on your behalf.

We call this sort of person a "yap" on account of the fact they're always yapping about something.

Answer 2

Good question...and not an easy one :)
I believe that we able bodied people get offended because we take our physical ability for granted. We typically have never had to deal with the emotions and experiences associated with being disabled and therefore we take our ability for granted and are frightened at even the consideration that we could be thought of as being PC or otherwise not "normal"...just a shot in the dark but it makes sense to me...

Answer 3

I don't treat people with disabilities any different. A disabled person once said that when people go past them they try not to make eye contact because they think the disabled person (one who is more obviously disabled eg. on a wheelchair) will feel they are staring at them and they will appear rude, instead they opt not only ignore them but to avoid eye contact at all cost. Surely you are going past a person, they is no need to act any different. Make eye contact like you would to anyone else, unless you rarely make eye contact, in that case you are fine.

Answer 4

I work with people who have an intellectual and/or physical disability. They have the same rights as everyone else in our society. Laws have been made to protect people with a disability. When a person calles someone with a disability a horrible name and makes fun of them, they are showing their ignorance...yes, you have accepted that, but a lot of people who have a disability will get hurt and confused by name calling and people making fun of their disability. You sound quite together and understand that the other person is the one with the problem. I am an abled bodied person, but I get so hurt when idiots start to make fun of these wonderful people. It hurts me because I see the hurt and confusion in their eyes....they dont understand a lot of the time why people would be so horrid. I believe, it is my responsibility to educate the ignorant. And if I see someone deliberately making fun of someone who is "different", I cannot help but say something. Dont get me wrong...I will not embarrass the person they are making fun of because I dont want to draw even more attention to the situation. But I would have to go up quietly and whisper in the offenders ear something about his ignorant words...I would want to embarrass him/her as much as he/she embarrassed the person who is different. The Law was made to protect these peoples rights....so the people who are poking fun at their differences is not only showing their ignorance, they are breaking the Law and they are descriminating against a person based on nothing more than someone looks different. If all people stood up for the rights of people who had a disability, then this situation would never exist...no-one would be game to make fun of another person who is different for fear of being remprimanded in public...then they would be the ones who would be made fun of. People will only make fun of others if they are allowed to get away with it. Too many people dont voice their opinions on unacceptable behaviour and thats why people feel it is their right to make fun of people who have a disability. We need to speak out.....only for the ones who cannot speak out for themselves.....they will keep their opinions to themselves or face the consequences...maybe that will make them think twice before they open their dirty mouths.

Answer 5

Maybe because a lot of people have an understanding and can relate to peoples disabilities and difficulties more so than a lot of other peoples ignorant views and upbringings.

Answer 6

i dont know.it annoys me. some people seem to take the moral higher ground as if theyre taking a stand for the ''smaller people'', instead of just getting on with it.lifes too pc now, you gotta be carefull about a whole variety of things that 10-15 years ago were the norm.

Answer 7

Are you talking about in person or on here ? I would never (intentionally) offend anyone in person...on here it's a different story..you really don't know who you are replying to here...My cut downs should be taken with a grain of salt....

Answer 8

It's the media. People read newspapers etc. but don't have opinions of their own. I believe that humour transcends everything, and that we should all have a laugh and move on.

Answer 9

guilt? people like that think theyre empathising, when in fact theyre trying to stop themselves from feeling bad by over reacting (theyve usually been prejudiced themselves) at some point (or think they have)

Answer 10

maybe we are worried that the next move will target us, so we are shutting the door right from the start! i think we all feel threatened deep down.