Just What is (and what is wrong with) Political Correctness?

Last I checked, the objective of PC was that people not be dicks. If anyone really feels the need to stand up and proclaim that they will not be forced to march lockstep with semi-decent behavior, that's their prerogative, I suppose.Of course, the righteous indignation here is kind of undermined by the fact that anyone who wants to still has the right to call a black guy a nigger, or call gay guys faggots, or what-have-you. And, of course, everyone else has the right to respond by saying, "Geez, what a dick."Since the latter part of this equation is, as far as I know, the absolute limits of the power PC has over society, I'm not really sure where all this business about those in power enforcing their conformism comes from.Edited by Dan Carroll, : No reason given.

We also wipe our noses on our sleeves. But the grownups in the room know that, although their impulse is to get the booger out of their nose right now, it would probably be best to go find a tissue.But there are, of course, always those social misfits who just hock up their snot anywhere they please.

What you can do, however, is pay attention to your responses, and understand when your actions are offensive.It's impossible to live without taking a crap. It's possible, and advisable, to not crap your pants in public.

It's all in the clench.

I'm still curious as to who is actually enforcing this enforced prohibition.You've certainly done a good job of pointing out how American white people were the ones who really had it rough in the sixties, but you have yet to tell us who has actually managed to prohibit you from thinking something other than that what they said you should think.So far, it just seems like people have decided they don't like you because of what you think, and told you so.

You said all this already. But I'm not asking who was mean to you. I'm asking who enforced the "enforced prohibition" against thinking anything other than what they want you to think.To my knowledge, you still have the right and ability to think whatever you please. If someone is trying to forcibly prohibit you from doing so, they're doing a really shitty job.What specific measures have they taken to keep you from thinking a certain way?

Oh. So you are talking about people not liking you, and saying so. You just feel pressured because so many people don't like you.I just figured that when you said "enforced prohibition," you meant... y'know. That someone was actually prohibiting something by force. Except that, apparently, you get internet access in the gulag.

And for my part, I will note for future reference that if "social opprobrium" and "peer pressure" are levied against you, it does not mean that people don't like you, it is in fact "enforced prohibition." But if there is a case of "enforced prohibition", it does not mean that something is being prohibited by force.See, I'm learning.Edited by Dan Carroll, : No reason given.

No... you got urged by this forum to be public-spirited, and decided it was because of political correctness. I think you get called apathetic because you "reserve [your] basic right not to give a damn." That's what apathy means... not giving a damn.

In all seriousness, Faith... I still don't get how this is not "people don't like you, and say so," if the only means by which it is enforced is "extreme moralistic denunciations."There's no force of authority. No physical force. Just people reacting to what others say and do by saying they think poorly of the person (denouncing them) for what they say and do. Even if it is extreme, it's still just variations on responding to someone's attitude by saying, "Geez, what a dick."

If it will make you feel better, feel free to read the question as:

quote:

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I still don't get how this is not "people don't like someone, and say so," if the only means by which it is enforced is "extreme moralistic denunciations."

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Read the rest of the question, Robin. I'm asking, if the only force behind it is social pressure, then it doesn't it basically amount to "people don't like someone?" (Or, in extremes, lots of people don't like someone."Edited by Dan Carroll, : No reason given.

Okay. Let's assume it's a system of thought by which people don't like someone because of their attitude and actions.All this means is that a person's system of thought will lead them to respond to someone by saying, "Geez, what a dick."Edited by Dan Carroll, : No reason given.

Which, of course, makes one wonder how you and Faith are managing to get internet access from your cardboard box behind the 7-11.Do you feel that people have a right to be liked?

Yes, you've made that clear. But so far, the only connection you've established is you calling it PC.