Never read anything that doesn’t offend you! No I jest, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. We all need to experience some like-mindedness now and then. Also, some things are downright offense and should just be avoided in the name of all common sense.
But I mean we people really need to get over our sense of offense and perpetual moral outrage, our fear, our desire to smite one another for having opinions. I am forever getting unfriended, unfollowed, that’s it, now you’ve just gone too far. Usually it is sparked by a post so far back, I have no idea what the alleged offense even was.
Also, the context is always missing. Like, that silly fluff piece on kale was written six months before I even knew you, so it could not possibly have been meant as a slam on your recent blog post full of kale recipes.
Kale tends to get me into trouble a lot. Modern people seem to have a lot of foody issues and not showing the proper amount of reverence is a bit like committing heresy or something. (The proper word here is polemics people, “polemics,” not heresy.)
We need to ponder these issues when reading the bible, too. Stop taking everything out of context, stop taking offense, consider the possibility that you may not fully understand what is being said and in what context. Also, some things were actually designed to cause perhaps a twinge of offense, a bit of discomfort. Sometimes the things we read trigger feelings. Feelings won’t hurt you. It’s okay.
Alas, I’m preaching to the choir. Those who need to know this stuff already do and those who don’t, won’t listen to me anyway.
Deep, cleansing breath. Happy Friday, people!
See, there's this thing called biology... 
Well, it’s not just with the advent of technology and our one dimensional communication where using caps, using punctuation… spacing dots (I’m damn good at that one) can change or thwart an intended meaning if used incorrectly.
Back in my management days I had a female staff that would come into my office on occasion to complain about a post-it note placed by someone from another department onto some return documents back to my department. If the post-it has one exclamation point the other department was obviously placing a judgement call on what you sent to them. Two exclamation points meant the person in the other department was pissed at you.. and of course, it wasn’t your fault. At times it got really dicey when the return post-it had underlined their reply.. AND.. you could see the ink depression from their pen, which meant the other department was pissed at you! “I’m going to call that bitch and give her a piece of my mind!”, was sometimes the threat made by my subordinate as a get-back.
Gawd.. over the impression of the ink pen? 🙂 Shhh.. I’m holding back my genderizing.
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LOL! #Firstworldproblems, huh?
We people can be astounding, and yes, women can pick up on and obsess over some real subtleties.
On the other hand, men can suffer from a kind of blindness. I’ve see guys get into fist fights and then look at you blankly when you even suggest there might be some tension going on. 🙂
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Reblogged this on ENLIGHTENMENT ANGELS.
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Thank you, much appreciated. 🙂
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It’s ok, sometimes the choir needs some encouragement. 😉
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I love the “kale” thing!! Made me laugh! This past weekend, anxious for spring, I purchase a six pack of cabbage to plant in my fresh tilled garden. Also available was kale. Sharing later with my Mom, “Who plants kale anyway?”. Oh my, Mom let me know there is quite the ” kale” movement going on and I was not being sensitive to their choice of kale! Lol Excellent post.
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Ha! Thanks for the validation. There is indeed,a kale movement going on. 🙂
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This is so spot on IB! I posted on FB last night what I thought to be a completely non political article about the wonders of Israeli spices in cooking. Of course someone got offended because I didn’t mention the other Middle Eastern countries that also take their exotic spicing seriously. Sighhhh…
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LOL! I can so picture exactly that happening, Tricia.
I kid you not, someone once said, “So how do you think you make other people feel when you say you like vanilla ice cream?” Well shoot, I don’t know, I guess I trigger a bunch of pistachio shame? 🙂
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LOL! That’s about the best and only responce to a question like that.
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A nearly perfect tone. Thank you. Made me chuckle.
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Very intriguing – “Never read anything that doesn’t offend you!” An inexpiable sense of inner morbidity compels me to respond to offenses. Not in defense (although that is how it’s likely to be interpreted), but to set things right. Because ‘offense’ is usually thought of as a violation; a breach; a transgression; malfeasance, the immediate knee-jerk reaction is to counter each offense with a good defense. As the definition of ‘offend’ is “cause to feel upset, annoyed, or resentful” we mostly bristle at any such disturbances. Without seizing the logical ‘reason’ of the ‘cause’, we release our grasp on absolutes and allow ourselves to be pulled into dubious worldviews.
Jesus promised to those who believe, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” – Jn. 8:32. Today it seems that half the population has come to resent factual history and truth where it challenges the popular narrative of political correctness. I visited the Dominican Republic where Christopher Columbus landed in 1492. Text books need not be consulted to prove this. A fortress erected by Columbus (bearing an original inscription declaring his motivation) is preserved there for all to see. Most noteworthy (and surprising to me) were the ancient sign-posts along the major highways that bear the above scripture quote (Jn.8:32) – evidence that Columbus indeed brought a form of Christianity to the Island.
I live in California where we have similar sign posts along US 1 commemorating the path traveled by Junipero Serra, the priest who established 21 missions between 1768 and 1853 along the coast from San Diego to San Francisco. The route (“El Camino Real”) is roughly traced by a series of commemorative bell markers. These parallel memorials serve as reminders of the facts history has recorded.
Yes, much of history reminds us of injustice, prejudice, and brutality – things modern progressives want us to ignore and forget. But it has been shown true, time and again, that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The recent removal of memorial statues throughout the South is reportedly due to offenses committed by men centuries ago. Suddenly, interpretation of history is more important than the actual facts. Not long ago the Bible, once THE foundational text book, was removed from public education.
Now history books are destined to a similar fate. Conservative values (which by nature hope to preserve truth) are under attack and a considerable offense to liberals who pretend to defend against racism and injustice. Sadly, they want us to forget their history, which reveals their leftist agenda that subtly pursues a form of socialism where only the top 1% rule and reign over the 99%. Their goal is to erase history so that we all are indeed doomed to repeat its ills. Of course they don’t care because they believe that ultimately – they will remain the 1% in power.
That deeply offends me. What offends me more is when I offer factual evidence to prove them wrong, they mock me as deplorable and ignorant. Then is when I defer to my better senses, remembering a truism a wise old sage once uttered: “Resist the urge to pick up another’s offense, and if you do, put it down ASAP”.
“Never read anything that doesn’t offend you!” Is the double-negative (never/doesn’t) intended to incite the reverse (always/do), or are we to refrain from things offensive? To be deliberately pursuing materials that surely will offend tends toward masochism, which is why I’ve stopped viewing certain late night talk shows. Never-the-less, I champion the cause of free speech and subjective dialogue. I just wish that more objective research formed the bedrock of most opinions and viewpoints being offered as journalism. The cause of offense remains a constant – a severe lack of mutual respect and tolerance – by both sides.
Although, if it isn’t clear by now, I’ve yet to find offense in any of your posts. My appreciation for your wit and charm in the face of offense is perpetually curbed by the fear that a well-deserved pat on the back may cause others to think we’re oblivious bigots. Am I wrong to desire a kinder, gentler time? Of course, antagonists will demand that those times require surrender to their progressive agenda, while my allies insist upon conservation of yesterday’s scruples. Whatever happened to balance?
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” – Ro. 7:24,25.
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LOL! Well said, MJ.
Indeed, do read things that offend you! History is offensive. Facts are offensive. The truth can be offensive sometimes, too. Far too often in the modern world people just want to annihilate anything that causes them offense and so we actually are tearing down statues and other assorted things. It’s the perpetual offense and our sudden inability to deal with it, that concerns me.
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I’ll write this in all caps, with my quil dipped in my own blood just to press home the point!!! Now that you know how serious what I’m about to TELL YOU, oh shoot I just forgot what was so important,,,,,.
Now where was I, seriously I do have maybe a counter point, I have found that when I read something, I need to take notes, if I don’t write down the assumptions and premises that the book is based on,by the time I’ve invested several hours reading, I will most often take the writing as fact even though it might be based on totally false “truth” deceptions, or just plain twisted ideas. This can be subconsciously manifested, perhaps I read something because I want it to be true, but realize it is not at some point, but my mind has already absorbed something from the writing that has influenced my way of thinking. This comes up fairly often, and I find it very powerful.
My point is that it is a good practice when reading something you might question, to mark it, write down on a post it, or in the margin why you agree or not so you can go back and be reminded. Mental notes are not adequate for most of us our memories are influenced by many things, but the written note, word changes much less.
I write this, in my blood, because of one particular scholar who although with good intentions, got caught up in a doctrine that was built on a false premise. Because of a grade and financial support, his students would not call him on it,
That’s my story.
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Thanks, R. I’m a big fan of critical thinking, so by all means take notes or write down objections. When we expose ourselves to things they can tend to influence us, so there are ditches on both sides of the road. Conversely however, if we are going to insist on a world of no offense and therefore never expose ourself to new ideas, then we can get into another dangerous situation. So absolutely, think critically, write it down, whatever it takes. 🙂
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Reply to R – I appreciate your sharing from a personal experience your POV. Deception has remained so proficient because it is rare when one recognizes that they’re being deceived. In my experience, those naive to the deception are covered by Grace. Others aware of the lies, yet unwilling for whatever reason to expose and escape, have chosen to remain bound by them.
“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” – 1Cor. 15:33.
“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” – 2 Tim. 3: 13.
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