It depends on what you call political correctness. A lot of things that many people consider "PC", I consider common courtesy. Freedom of speech is great, I'm all for it, but I also support freedom from humiliation and discrimination.
I don't think Political Correctness has as much effect on common decency as it does on other aspects of social standards. The term "common decency" is also very debatable. What people consider decent varies highly from culture to culture. Decency in the U.S.A. is not the same as in Great Britain, Japan, or Saudi Arabia, though tolerance for other's actions, beliefs, racial makeup, and customs should not vary, ideally.
The greatest thing to come from modern political correctness is tolerance and a tentative understanding. People seem to be a bit more tolerant of others overall than just a couple of decades ago. Politically Correct terminology has somewhat created an understanding between people of different walks of life.
P.C. culture has created a degree of animosity for some, however. There seems to be a tension created by not knowing or understanding a preferred P.C. term. Someone may use an outdated, (and possibly offensive), term in innocence or ignorance, and others might perceive it the wrong way as a stab at their heritage.
In order to solve this problem, more words and terms need to become acceptable in P.C. linguistics. A good example is the word "oriental". It is mainly now considered a derogatory term by many in the U.S. and has been replaced by the vague term, "Asian". "Asian" is somewhat of a falsehood and much more inaccurate than "oriental". "Oriental" used to refer to people of East-Asian heritage like, China, Japan, Korea, etc. However, "oriental" would never be used to describe someone with heritage in India, Iran, or Russia; all of which are "Asian" countries.
In all, P.C. talk has brought about some understandings but also a lot of convolution. I feel more individuals on the receiving end of a P.C. term need to accept some words less offensively if they were delivered in a harmless fashion. Language is consistently evolving and one must accept some of the old terms with many of the new terms, even if it seems a bit harsh on the ear.
For example. I think it's much nicer to work in an office where it is NOT ok for the guys to stand around and make audible comments about their female co-workers' breasts and asses and speculate whether said women would be a good f*ck, and whether they would or would not be good at delivering oral pleasures.
Yeah, it's a shame those guys no longer have the absolute freedom to say whatever they want, whenever they want, in the name of "political correctness." Bummer for them.
No one is being asked to change how they THINK, just to look carefully at what they say and when they say it. What has been labeled as "political correctness" is a small effort to preserve a minimal amount of interpersonal harmony so that we can do our jobs, go to school, transact commerce with one another, and otherwise co-exist without actively offending one another. God knows, there are an infinite number of other ways we can p*ss each other off royally and instigate each other to hatred and violence without reference to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation.
I personally feel awful when I offend someone else, even inadvertently. I get no pleasure from their embarrassment, hurt, or humiliation, and it doesn't make me feel better to know that I had a "right" to do so.
Well as much as it's supposed to be a positive thing I think it encourages people to be kind of fake. PC terms aren't going to become second nature to use for a long time. That's why people have to pause mid-sentence, rack their brain for the right "term" and it's so obviously NOT what they were going to say. It's like saying "I am only saying this because I am SUPPOSED to."
I am in amazement of people in America who continually complain that our rights are being taken from us, yet at the same time relinquish the right of free speech under the banner of political correctness. Political correctness enhances nothing other than the liberal squashing of freedom of expression.
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It depends on what you call political correctness. A lot of things that many people consider "PC", I consider common courtesy. Freedom of speech is great, I'm all for it, but I also support freedom from humiliation and discrimination.
I don't think Political Correctness has as much effect on common decency as it does on other aspects of social standards. The term "common decency" is also very debatable. What people consider decent varies highly from culture to culture. Decency in the U.S.A. is not the same as in Great Britain, Japan, or Saudi Arabia, though tolerance for other's actions, beliefs, racial makeup, and customs should not vary, ideally.
The greatest thing to come from modern political correctness is tolerance and a tentative understanding. People seem to be a bit more tolerant of others overall than just a couple of decades ago. Politically Correct terminology has somewhat created an understanding between people of different walks of life.
P.C. culture has created a degree of animosity for some, however. There seems to be a tension created by not knowing or understanding a preferred P.C. term. Someone may use an outdated, (and possibly offensive), term in innocence or ignorance, and others might perceive it the wrong way as a stab at their heritage.
In order to solve this problem, more words and terms need to become acceptable in P.C. linguistics. A good example is the word "oriental". It is mainly now considered a derogatory term by many in the U.S. and has been replaced by the vague term, "Asian". "Asian" is somewhat of a falsehood and much more inaccurate than "oriental". "Oriental" used to refer to people of East-Asian heritage like, China, Japan, Korea, etc. However, "oriental" would never be used to describe someone with heritage in India, Iran, or Russia; all of which are "Asian" countries.
In all, P.C. talk has brought about some understandings but also a lot of convolution. I feel more individuals on the receiving end of a P.C. term need to accept some words less offensively if they were delivered in a harmless fashion. Language is consistently evolving and one must accept some of the old terms with many of the new terms, even if it seems a bit harsh on the ear.
Enhancing.
For example. I think it's much nicer to work in an office where it is NOT ok for the guys to stand around and make audible comments about their female co-workers' breasts and asses and speculate whether said women would be a good f*ck, and whether they would or would not be good at delivering oral pleasures.
Yeah, it's a shame those guys no longer have the absolute freedom to say whatever they want, whenever they want, in the name of "political correctness." Bummer for them.
No one is being asked to change how they THINK, just to look carefully at what they say and when they say it. What has been labeled as "political correctness" is a small effort to preserve a minimal amount of interpersonal harmony so that we can do our jobs, go to school, transact commerce with one another, and otherwise co-exist without actively offending one another. God knows, there are an infinite number of other ways we can p*ss each other off royally and instigate each other to hatred and violence without reference to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation.
I personally feel awful when I offend someone else, even inadvertently. I get no pleasure from their embarrassment, hurt, or humiliation, and it doesn't make me feel better to know that I had a "right" to do so.
Recognizing the uniqueness and diversity of all is certainly a decent thing to do, I agree. It enhances decency and respect.
Corroding human decency and freedom of speech.
Political correctness stifles the individual's right to freedom of speech and eliminates all original thought.
Well as much as it's supposed to be a positive thing I think it encourages people to be kind of fake. PC terms aren't going to become second nature to use for a long time. That's why people have to pause mid-sentence, rack their brain for the right "term" and it's so obviously NOT what they were going to say. It's like saying "I am only saying this because I am SUPPOSED to."
People take things too serieously. Political correctness just gives people a reason to complain.
I am in amazement of people in America who continually complain that our rights are being taken from us, yet at the same time relinquish the right of free speech under the banner of political correctness. Political correctness enhances nothing other than the liberal squashing of freedom of expression.
I think it has made it more difficult to interact to some degree. No one is relaxed any more.