Anna Akana: "Are We Too Politically Correct?"

[Baruch]

I was really asking.  And I still don't know.  Well, maybe.  The political agenda is control?  Faux News is way better at control than political correctness.  That's why about 25% of the people associate as Republican but they still have both houses of Congress and the presidency right now.

Fame is nice, money is nice ... but power is where it is at.  Always has been.  Sociopaths, creating and destroying societies for 5000 years now.  BTW ... move that big block of stone for me, I need another pyramid ;-)

On how to address people ... my daughter is handicapped.  But I don't tolerate her, I enable her ... with my choice of language.  She knows what her problems are, I don't need to remind her.  I tell her, most people are ordinary ... but she is extraordinary.  She is unique, she doesn't have to meet anyone's group think or other expectations ... she should maker her own expectations and go for that.  Seeking the least offensive is itself offensive.  Celebrate people, no matter who they are.

[SGOS]

All respects to the term respect, respect is earned and not just bestowed upon us at birth.

I won't disagree, but I don't do it that way.  I tend to respect everyone, until they lose my respect.  But respect is my default mindset.  No one has to earn it, but they can lose it.

[PickelledEggs]

I won't disagree, but I don't do it that way.  I tend to respect everyone, until they lose my respect.  But respect is my default mindset.  No one has to earn it, but they can lose it.

That's similar to my outlook. I start everyone at around what would be a 6 on a scale of 0 - 10 of respect, how they conduct themselves, and who they are will either raise the number or lower it. I do start at a more than neutral outlook of respect towards everyone though.

[SGOS]

That's similar to my outlook. I start everyone at around what would be a 6 on a scale of 0 - 10 of respect, how they conduct themselves, and who they are will either raise the number or lower it. I do start at a more than neutral outlook of respect towards everyone though.

Yeah, that's probably more accurate for me, also.  Respect is given in degrees, so a stranger won't start at 10. But I don't start him off at zero, even if it may be logical to do so.  A simple introduction is usually followed by a handshake, which automatically indicates some degree of respect.

[FaithIsFilth]

I think you guys should be using the word politeness rather than respect. Respect is more about admiration. How can you admire someone that you've just met when you don't know anything about them? When I meet someone new, I am polite with them, not respectful.

[TomFoolery]

I think you guys should be using the word politeness rather than respect. Respect is more about admiration.

While respect can be about admiration, that's just one definition. Respect can also mean to have due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of someone or something.

The "something" is the part that gets me. People are entitled to respect. Ideas and things are not. Even the worst, arrogant, bullying asshole idiots are entitled to simple fundamental respect. Nothing they believe in has to be.

[PickelledEggs]

I think you guys should be using the word politeness rather than respect. Respect is more about admiration. How can you admire someone that you've just met when you don't know anything about them? When I meet someone new, I am polite with them, not respectful.

respect =/= admiration.
I respect many people I dislike.

If anything, respect IS a kind of politeness. ...Or politeness is a kind of respect.

[FaithIsFilth]

respect =/= admiration.
I respect many people I dislike.

Well, admiration is one of the definitions. I guess there are several different definitions of respect, which are nothing alike.

The same goes for words like gay or queer, but the SJWs don't want to accept this. Richard Dawkins speaks of a queer universe. Should he stop using the word queer if some people start protesting his use of the word? No. They can shove it. They don't own the word queer, or gay, or any other word.

Say I wanted to use a less offensive word than gay. What would I use anyways? Lame? Isn't that offensive to lame people, or parents with lame children? Do I replace the word lame with dumb? Then that would be offensive to the dumb and their families. So what wording should I use then? If I instead say "that sucks", am I not implying that sucking is bad? Shouldn't implying that sucking is a negative be offensive to people who enjoy sucking penis? Do I start saying "not good" or something in place of the word gay? People seem to be forgetting that insults are supposed to sting. That's kind of the point.

[Nonsensei]

All respects to the term respect, respect is earned and not just bestowed upon us at birth. When someone tells me they demand respect it's usually the last thing I'm going to give them. First you have to earn the respect you desire through your actions and words you use and realize that at any time you can say or do things that will destroy any respect you ever had in the past.
Political correctness is just a made up notion that has more or less morphed into an insult. It's to say that you're using language that may or may not be useful, but I disagree so you're being politically correct and by default wrong and just about any language anyone uses that someone else disagrees with can be painted as some nefarious agenda under the guise of political correctness. It's a meaningless term and almost always used to describe what is perceived as the nefarious liberal plot to subugate the human race in some ridiculous world that doesn't actually exist.
You want respect? Earn it and realize that at any time you can and very likely will lose it intentionally or not.

Respect is not binary. There is a baseline of respect that you should have for someone just for being a fellow human. Its not the sort of deep respect that you have for someone you admire, but its a sort of nodding respect that says at the very least this person deserves to be referred to in any way they desire by virtue of being human.

But respect can also be a strange thing. For example, if I want you to use my preferred pronoun, you should do so if you have a baseline of respect for me that I deserve by virtue of being human. On the other hand if the pronoun is exceedingly obscure and one of dozens, now I am imposing on you by putting you at risk.

How would I be putting you at risk? We live in a society in which it is becoming possible to experience terrible consequences for saying the wrong thing. If i tell an off color joke, you might call me an idiot or you might complain to my boss and make me lose my job. If I use the wrong pronoun, intentionally or by accident, you might correct me or you might scream bloody murder to everyone we know until I am a social pariah.

Its heading to the point where any social interaction could become a multiple choice pass/fail pop quiz that you really can't afford to fail. God help people with bad memories or something more important than pronouns on their minds.

[Cavebear]

Respect is not binary. There is a baseline of respect that you should have for someone just for being a fellow human. Its not the sort of deep respect that you have for someone you admire, but its a sort of nodding respect that says at the very least this person deserves to be referred to in any way they desire by virtue of being human.

But respect can also be a strange thing. For example, if I want you to use my preferred pronoun, you should do so if you have a baseline of respect for me that I deserve by virtue of being human. On the other hand if the pronoun is exceedingly obscure and one of dozens, now I am imposing on you by putting you at risk.

How would I be putting you at risk? We live in a society in which it is becoming possible to experience terrible consequences for saying the wrong thing. If i tell an off color joke, you might call me an idiot or you might complain to my boss and make me lose my job. If I use the wrong pronoun, intentionally or by accident, you might correct me or you might scream bloody murder to everyone we know until I am a social pariah.

Its heading to the point where any social interaction could become a multiple choice pass/fail pop quiz that you really can't afford to fail. God help people with bad memories or something more important than pronouns on their minds.

I have to disagree with you slightly.  I do not grant "respect" for someone just by them being human.  I grant them tolerance.  The average IQ is 100.  The people I have worked with above that are higher, but not impressive (scary dumb even).  100 scares the crap out of me.

And they voted this time; look what happened!  The Trumpster!