Political Correctness is Personal Considerateness

[niyad]

it occurs to me frequently that the reason so many people object to political correctness (or, as I am now calling it, personal considerateness) is because they know, deep down, that they are inconsiderate, immature, insulting scum, and don't like having to face that fact, or give up their disgusting behaviour.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I agree. When people sneer at something for being "politically correct,"

what they are really saying is that they don't give a damn about being considerate toward other people and that they dislike being told they shouldn't be an asshole.

[SharonAnn]

18. Being courteous and considerate is called "political correctness".

The opposite is being rude and inconsiderate.

[Hortensis]

27. At least 9 times out of 10, and I do try to gently

point out it's just plain old ordinary consideration and decent manners. Don't remember ever getting a comeback on that. No minds changed in those for whom it's a creed, of course, but the cues for manners are like pornography. We all know them when we see them.

(The exceptions, of course, arise out of excessive...passionate sensitivity? Almost always by someone on the left who feels everyone should feel their shame, guilt and/or outrage over something that's got 'em worked up.)

[ck4829]

2. K&R. The people I know who say "political correctness" is a problem are the same...

Grown adults who chuckle at someone or something being named "gay".

"Gay... get it? "Gay" heh heh"

I'm not actually connected to these people though, thank God.

[d_r]

3. I am now calling it

"common decency."

[niyad]

5. absolutely true as well.

[qazplm135]

4. the folks who don't like it

don't like it because they WANT to be able to say something sexist, homophobic, racist, xenophobic, etc. and don't like being judged for saying it.

[better]

6. Here's an interesting observation I had dealing with people railing against being "PC"...

Political Correctness is defined as "the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against".

That sounds strangely similar to "adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues", which is the definition of "tact".

Pretty well demonstrates that your assessment is spot on.

[CrispyQ]

7. And yet you'd better wish them a Merry Christmas & not Happy Holidays,

or you're persecuting them. These people have the emotional maturity of a toddler.

[niyad]

9. and my response to such snowflakes is "blessed solstice"--apoplexy can be such fun to watch!!

[LanternWaste]

14. I finally got to trot out my "all holidays matter!"

when a coworker berated me for not specifying Christmas.

Hers wasn't so much apoplexy as it was bewilderment, followed quickly by the realization she had bamboozled herself with the 'all lives matter' chickenshit from earlier this summer.

[niyad]

15. ohhh, I might co-opt that one. but I live in very red fundieville, so I like the apoplexy.

[lostnfound]

31. Omg I love that nt

[lunatica]

22. I usually tell them

that I don’t do Christmas because it’s actually a day which is preceded by the wholesale worship of corporate things starting two months before Christmas.

They don’t even know where to start fighting back. And if they do manage to say that Christmas is a sacred remembrance of Jesus’ birthday I tell them that’s what churches are for.

They hate that!

[niyad]

23. that works as well. you clearly have far more patience than I. sometimes, I just point out

that the xians stole xmas from the pagans.

[lunatica]

25. I developed tactful patience to keep peace and harmony at work

So many of my workmates were nice people who could easily be influence by ignorant pseudo anger at “liberals”, and I’ve never been one to keep quiet around willful ignorance. They were people who brought home cooked food, snacks, cookies to share with the rest of us. People who hugged me and cried with me when my son died, so I was gentle with them about the Christmas issues. The ones who took offense at what I said would just avoid me and would find themselves on the outer edges of the kind people groups.

[niyad]

35. I am so very sorry for the loss of your son, and glad that you had suuportive coworkers.

Not working in the corporate world, I no longer have to deal with all those issues (Goddess be thanked!!)

[lunatica]

36. Thank you

I’m happily retired now. No more stress!

[MineralMan]

8. I just call it being mindful of others.

Calling some mindful behavior "politically correct," is just a way of saying, "I can't be bothered to think about other people."

[marylandblue]

10. I think they have different objections than that

Some might just be scum, but others are genuinely confused or dislike certain aspects. For example, "microaggressions" are a problem for many, because it's hard to know what a microaggression is, but once someone claims you have committed one, you may be labelled an unrepentant racist. So some consider the concept of microaggressions as going beyond considerateness into a zone where offense is easily taken and forgiveness hard to receive.

[ck4829]

19. Microaggressions are a problem for many, because they are actually hurtful

Nobody asks me when I decided to be straight.

Nobody asks me where I am really from.

Nobody asks me if I am really an American citizen.

Nobody asks me for ID when I enter government buildings or when I vote.

Nobody says I'm a credit to white people... even though I have heard that said about my friends and coworkers who are of different colors and religions.

And ironically on the meta sense, the fear of some sort of irrational response to a microaggression as well as cultivating and capitalizing on that fear is potentially even worse than doing a microaggression... the fear of dark skinned people or some other minority who are overly emotional, not logical, and a bunch of extremists coming to get you, an innocent person who meant well.

Sounds less like a microaggression and more like overt racism in that sense.

[marylandblue]

34. I've heard other examples that are much more reflective of unconscious bias

And therefore really may be unintentional. One example given of microaggression is assuming that a female physician carrying a stethoscope is a nurse.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/microaggressions-in-everyday-life/201011/microaggressions-more-just-race

Certainly it's unconscious bias, but is it in any sense aggressive? A lot depends on how the two people respond. If the doctor says, "I'm a doctor" and the other person apologizes, it's different than if the other person says they'd like to talk a different doctor.

Maybe it's just my own perspective. I think people deep down are mostly not aware of what they are doing. They are genuinely confused by their own unconscious motivations and behaviors and have a lot of resistance when someone forces them to look.

[quickesst]

11. I only object to political correctness....

.... when it falls into this category:

in·ane
/iˈnān/Submit
adjective
silly; stupid.
synonyms: silly, foolish, stupid, fatuous, idiotic, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, senseless, asinine, frivolous, vapid;

... I of course, will be the judge of what I believe falls into this category.

[ismnotwasm]

12. I've thought this for along time

It does not hurt to be courteous or considerate. So many people who deride ‘PC culture” simply want carte blanche to be hurtful bigot assholes.

[Dennis Donovan]

13. Consideration...

Hmm.

[yonder]

16. Good Manners. Consideration. Tact. Socially Conscious. all mostly the same

If some one brings up PC, I'll say with a deadpan face "Oh, you mean good manners?" It usually stops them, if only for a bit.

They love co-opting PC, as an excuse to exhibit their ugly side. I've had this hunch that people who use PC derisively, do it because it gives them a chance to use 7 syllables in 2 words. They think it makes them sound smart.

[Caliman73]

17. There is or at least was a term called "Political Correctness"

It was typically used to describe ideas and statements that were seen as ideologically correct by the party in power. It was used to describe both Nazi and Communist Party tendencies to reward people for falling in line with their ideology. It seems to have always been somewhat of a criticism of rigidity even among the far left.

Right wingers started to use "Political Correctness" as a disparagement of anything that called them out on bigoted language. As they do regularly, they try to "play the ref" instead of engaging in the debate. They accuse people of "shutting down conversation" when the reality is as you posted, that not calling someone a "fag", "retard", "wet back" or "illegal", "bitch", etc... is just human decency not some form of mind control.

I like "Personal Considerateness". I also like plain and simple "Human decency".

[LiberalLovinLug]

20. Yeah, I've never understood using the term "political" or "correctness"

To describe simply having a bit of empathy towards a person or group of persons, to consider their feelings, or beliefs, before saying or doing something towards them.

Because "political" will just be interpreted as "partisan" and by the right as "librul partisan" And when you attach the term "correctness" to that it becomes...political correctness = liberal/Democrat doctrine/agenda. They have in effect, invented a term that shields them from what the term actually describes.

[Marcuse]

21. It used to be called common courtesy.

[lostnfound]

32. I like that phrase. But some irony

The common decency and good manners exhibited in profusion in movies in the 1940s and 1950s existed in an era where brutality / racism were commonplace. In the movies people dressed up with hats and gloves and chivalrous behavior and polite speech, but there were horrors inflicted on people of color on a daily basis.

[pdsimdars]

24. There are some subtle things to consider here. I'll make a separate post.

[OriginalGeek]

26. I first remember hearing the term in the 80s

and at that time, in my experience, it was a term white racist people used to describe the nice way they said racist things. They wanted to call the cashier the N-word but instead they said black or African American to be politically correct. And make no mistake, they resented the ever-loving shit out of having to be PC. But they still wanted credit for saying racist shit nicely.

Now that they feel like they don't have to be PC, anything they don't deem sufficiently racist is PC. To them it is a pejorative and they automatically assume you are just being PC and not being polite because you are a polite person. When you seem to be offended that they just used the N word they think you are just being PC. It is not because they said something wrong - you just don't want to admit you think the same way.

edit to add: SO the term PC has always had a negative connotation to me. It meant the person was a racist and wanted people to think they weren't (except for other people being PC who were also racist so it was also nod to other racists about what's really going on.)

[VOX]

28. The RW objects to PC because it means they have to think before they speak...

And they are not interested in practicing thoughtfulness, acceptance, inclusiveness, courtesy, basic human decency, and change for the better.

Just look at their beloved figurehead in the WH. Right now, he’s the freest person in America, tweeting bullshit on a daily basis, constantly complaining about everything, insulting POC, women, veterans, the infirm, etc., and making a huge mess of things wherever he goes or speaks.

He’s tooted every dog whistle in the box, lies with every breath, and his cult following is still delighted with his “refreshing honesty” and his “ability to get things done.” It’s all completely delusional.

[ProudLib72]

29. I've been thinking about the implications of your post

IMHO, this is one more instance of deplorables coopting at "liberal" term and using it derisively. The same thing happened with "SJW". I think it's amazing how easily they can subvert the positive connotation of a term, and I can't help but wonder how to stop them from doing so. Some of the suggestions in this thread have me thinking that, instead of inventing a new term, maybe we ought to start using words that everyone knows. Someone mentioned "tact" and "consideration". Maybe by using old terms the deplorables will be forced to own their behavior? Probably not, but it keeps them from taking pleasure in perverting the meaning of a word or phrase.

[LBM20]

30. Hold on. Most of us are all for being respectful, but political correctness can go too far. Such as:

* A husband calling his wife "my girl" or a woman calling herself a "girl" or "gal" is ok, and her calling a husband "a good boy" and men calling themselves "boys" is ok too. What the hell is wrong with that? It is common speech. It is all about CONTEXT.

* Can't group people by gender anymore, such as "girls go first on even days and boys on odd days" for school things. My god!

* "Holiday Tree" "Holiday Wreath" For goodness sake, it is ok to say "Christmas" with these items.

* Fine to say Native American, and I do, but can also say Native American Indian and even Indian here and there too. The reserve near my town is called "Indian Island." It is their territory and they have not changed it.

* It is ok to have women's clubs and men's clubs. They don't all have to be co-ed. (It is also fine to have some that ARE co-ed.)

* It is ok to have a public Christmas tree and garlands at Christmastime. (It is also fine to have public Menoras. Some places do. I'm all for it.)

* Generally, people can laugh at themselves and don't have to be insulted by every little thing.

[Buckeyeblue]

33. To paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut

Enough about love. How about some human decency.