NationStates Jolt Archive

Political correctness is nothing more than several groups of people overreacting to an already overreacting public and going to long ends not to offend people. This is not some creeping doom that is sucking our freedoms away. Get a grip. What happens is that someone is intolerant, someone else gets pissed at him, and suddenly everyone doesn't want to be the intolerant guy, so they over correct to stupid lengths.

(although I'm suddenly reminded of the bit in Family Guy when Stewie is about to tell a black joke, stops to look around the entire area for any black people, and then as he's about to tell it a black person pops out of the nearby potted plant.)

Political correctness is nothing more than several groups of people overreacting to an already overreacting public and going to long ends not to offend people.

.... and then they start imposing it on other people. Free speech gone.

.... and then they start imposing it on other people. Free speech gone.

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I've been aware of the concept "politically correct" since way back before it was a perjorative.

It used to be used by communists in the sense of "my enemy's enemy is my friend." To be politically correct was to fight the same enemy, albeit from tribal or personal motives which were not communist. It always meant less than completely correct ... more like "good enough, under the circumstances."

Nowadays, it means something else. I think the OP's definition is quite good enough, and I think the question deserves more than a quip and a citation for the quip.

It is correct to consider the political ramifications of a personal statement. It is correct to anticipate the objections to any statement which may be political. It is political, and correct, to consider the possible reactions of your audience, and to couch your opinions in terms which cause as little offence as possible while clearly making the point.

And for the record, I do not usually use the phrase "politically correct," because I have no confidence as to what it might mean to whomever I'm speaking to.

Political correctness is nothing more than several groups of people overreacting to an already overreacting public and going to long ends not to offend people. This is not some creeping doom that is sucking our freedoms away. Get a grip. What happens is that someone is intolerant, someone else gets pissed at him, and suddenly everyone doesn't want to be the intolerant guy, so they over correct to stupid lengths.

(although I'm suddenly reminded of the bit in Family Guy when Stewie is about to tell a black joke, stops to look around the entire area for any black people, and then as he's about to tell it a black person pops out of the nearby potted plant.)

Political correctness is a mostly well-intentioned attempt to alter behavior in lieu of altering the hearts of people. It is doomed to failure, mostly because of that, and also because of the rebellious nature of most people. Until the hearts of men change in recognition that all humans are our brothers and sisters, there will continue to be those who attempt to alter behavior, by whatever means, to enforce the unenforcable.

.... and then they start imposing it on other people. Free speech gone.

One person sharing their viewpoint does not "imposing" make ... if they try to legislate it absolutly then it is imposing on you freedom of speech.

So many people scream oppression soon as someone expresses their view on another person's language