This is irrational and hostile. Regardless, what's unfolding is not a result of people more frequently experiencing normal social reactions to their public statements and actions, nor a result of the exceptional and justly criticized cases where those reactions are based on error. That line of criticism is usually just a dishonest way to excuse other behaviors, like we are witnessing here, that are dangerous to society and poisonous to discourse.
It needs to be made clear that the path of progress is littered with hurt feelings, and that the importance of our feelings is significantly dwarfed by the collective good of science and democracy.
So it doesn't seem to have much explanatory power as to how we got to the point where the President is inciting those rioters... the President is literally telling them to be offended, and to be angry. Speech promoting violence. How is that speech not itself a threat to democracy?
The fact that it applies to both perhaps suggests validity, no?
It needs to be made clear that the path of
progress is littered with hurt feelings, and
that the importance of our feelings is
significantly dwarfed by the collective
good of science and democracy.
The human race is not a zero-sum game with "feelings" on one side and "progress" on the other!
Don't lose sight of why we're making all of this progress in the first place.
We are not building more highways and inventing more computers just for the heck of it. We are -- or should be -- doing it to improve the happiness of ourselves and those who come after us.
Y'know, happiness? One of those pesky feelings you mentioned?
We used to teach our children to "have a thick skin." "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me." When someone took offense we told them to "grow up."
Being offended, especially on behalf of someone else, is useless. Teach people not to take offense. They'll be happier.
Words to affect people and if you don't respond to insult, you will be bullied and insulted more and more. You will not have respect and you will lose ability to influence what is going on with and around you.
In addition, men used to hold duels over words, so it was not even historical standards.
> When someone took offense we told them to "grow up."
Yes, some adults were enabling bullies like that. Especially if they themselves did not like the target. But it still was exactly that - enabling.
Just letting it go or being submissive is not functional strategy to deal with these issues.
Teach people not to take offense. They'll be happier.
I am expressing my belief that progress and happiness pair pretty well -- they should not be at odds with each other.
In addition to earning a living, it's why I got into this industry. Is that not why most of us are here? Aren't we here to write code that makes things better for people? Perhaps not on world changing levels, but hopefully on some level even if it's just making the file upload box on some fourth-rate social media site a little easier to use?
This is never said or implied.
The way I interpret this argument is this: the world wasn't meant to be pleasing all the time. Excluding unpleasant facts from one's information diet because it hurts their feelings is what the OP is arguing against. It is absolutely possible to present hostile/offensive statements that are also true. Feel free to agree/disagree, but it's quite rational line of thinking.