Offence
A gift that is always taken, never given.
An observation that is often strategically leveraged as a valid argument.
Not an indication of truth or coherence.
Frequently at the centre of disputes about human rights, and so it needs to mediated in a sense.
Taking offence is generally interpreted as a signal that something is wrong. This is intuitive and reasonable enough, and this is precisely when most investigations end in the face of axiomatic negative emotions. Negative emotions inform us about ourselves, not about others or the world around us. We often overlook this fact rather quickly because we are predominantly focused on eliminating the source of our perceived discomfort as quickly as possible. We are overly reactionary when we perceive a threat, regardless of whether or not it is valid or appropriate. While this is demonstrably true, we frequently suggest that our negative emotions have an external genesis. It is because someone else said or did something inherently wrong or immoral. This can be the case, but it is far less common than the alternative.
This is immediately clarified by making potentially divisive or controversial statements in the presence of others. Some will react favourably to your statement, some negatively, some will remain neutral, and some will wonder why you opened your mouth in the first place. This infers that your statement does not possess any intrinsic qualities that can be categorized in a manner that is universally acceptable. Your statement conveys INFORMATION, and how each of us responds or reacts to your statement reveals something about our character in that given moment. Even when we intend on causing offence, we do not always achieve our desired outcome. This is because we are far less powerful than we would like to believe when it comes to controlling the thoughts and emotions of others.
Actions are a conspicuously different case, and while our responses will likely have less variance, the same rule applies. Even particularly antagonistic or violent acts are welcome by some, and while it may be difficult to ascertain why anyone would welcome pain or suffering, it is nevertheless the case that humans do this on occasion. There are general rules that we tend to rely upon when it comes to actions and offence, and these serve us well, but actions are fundamentally different than speech. Those who conflate violent acts with any kind of speech have either never experienced real violence, or they are attempting to pull a fast one.
Further to simple examinations about taking offence and what causes us to react in the way we do, many believe we live in a ‘culture of offence.’ While this is a matter of debate, our compassions certainly appear to be exploited on a regular basis due to someone claiming that offence has been taken. Irrespective of whether we live in such a culture, a worthwhile question could be: what would a culture of offence produce? From a game theoretical approach, BAD ACTORS will tend to feign offence if it provides them with immediate attention and remediation. In order to stay competitive, we will be encouraged to invent new ways to become offended on a regular basis, because it will provide us with unearned benefits. While this would be considered an evolutionary win, it will have a deranging effect on the rest of us as we are manipulated into tripping over ourselves while we beg for the forgiveness of malevolent souls.
Only infants should expect to have their offence remediated immediately, the rest of us need to grow up and manage them in a mature fashion.
The universe remains unsympathetic to our plights.
Posted: 25 Jan 2023
