A Philosophical Quandary

manifold

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Feb 19, 2008
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In the few years that I've been doing this messageboarding thing, there are several views that I came in with that I've allowed to be changed and/or softened by the articulate, well-reasoned wisdom of others. One such notion that I've begrudgingly accepted is the idea that you cannot tell others what they are allowed to find offensive. It certainly seems reasonable. Everyone has their own personal experiences and sensitive issues that others, who've never walked in their shoes, are incapable of understanding. I say that I've begrudgingly accepted this because there has always been something about it that still bothered me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. However, I couldn't refute the notion in any intellectually honest and reasoned manner so I accepted it.

Thanks to the unwitting influence of many members of this board, I believe I finally understand what bothers me about it, and indeed it represents a philosophical quandary. For the exact same reasons why I cannot tell anyone else what they are allowed to find offensive, they cannot tell me what I am allowed to find funny. Humor is just as much an emotional response as is offense. And nobody has walked in my shoes and understands the things I've seen and endured in my life which has given me the ability to see humor (whether a blessing or a curse) in events and comments that many others find not funny at all.

So what happens when I find something funny, and that in and of itself is offensive to someone else? I can't help finding it funny any more than they can help being offended, however, in our hyper-sensitive, politically correct culture, there is no compromise. I'm expected to supress my emotions. Period. End of discussion. And that kinda sucks, IMO.
 
In the few years that I've been doing this messageboarding thing, there are several views that I came in with that I've allowed to be changed and/or softened by the articulate, well-reasoned wisdom of others. One such notion that I've begrudgingly accepted is the idea that you cannot tell others what they are allowed to find offensive. It certainly seems reasonable. Everyone has their own personal experiences and sensitive issues that others, who've never walked in their shoes, are incapable of understanding. I say that I've begrudgingly accepted this because there has always been something about it that still bothered me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. However, I couldn't refute the notion in any intellectually honest and reasoned manner so I accepted it.

Thanks to the unwitting influence of many members of this board, I believe I finally understand what bothers me about it, and indeed it represents a philosophical quandary. For the exact same reasons why I cannot tell anyone else what they are allowed to find offensive, they cannot tell me what I am allowed to find funny. Humor is just as much an emotional response as is offense. And nobody has walked in my shoes and understands the things I've seen and endured in my life which has given me the ability to see humor (whether a blessing or a curse) in events and comments that many others find not funny at all.

So what happens when I find something funny, and that in and of itself is offensive to someone else? I can't help finding it funny any more than they can help being offended, however, in our hyper-sensitive, politically correct culture, there is no compromise. I'm expected to supress my emotions. Period. End of discussion. And that kinda sucks, IMO.


Shut up you ****.
 
"If you're going to offend someone, walk a mile in their shoes first--you'll be a mile away, AND YOU'LL HAVE THEIR SHOES!!!!!!!!"

--*I can't remeber who I'm paraphrasing--apologies.
 
In the few years that I've been doing this messageboarding thing, there are several views that I came in with that I've allowed to be changed and/or softened by the articulate, well-reasoned wisdom of others. One such notion that I've begrudgingly accepted is the idea that you cannot tell others what they are allowed to find offensive. It certainly seems reasonable. Everyone has their own personal experiences and sensitive issues that others, who've never walked in their shoes, are incapable of understanding. I say that I've begrudgingly accepted this because there has always been something about it that still bothered me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. However, I couldn't refute the notion in any intellectually honest and reasoned manner so I accepted it.

Thanks to the unwitting influence of many members of this board, I believe I finally understand what bothers me about it, and indeed it represents a philosophical quandary. For the exact same reasons why I cannot tell anyone else what they are allowed to find offensive, they cannot tell me what I am allowed to find funny. Humor is just as much an emotional response as is offense. And nobody has walked in my shoes and understands the things I've seen and endured in my life which has given me the ability to see humor (whether a blessing or a curse) in events and comments that many others find not funny at all.

So what happens when I find something funny, and that in and of itself is offensive to someone else? I can't help finding it funny any more than they can help being offended, however, in our hyper-sensitive, politically correct culture, there is no compromise. I'm expected to supress my emotions. Period. End of discussion. And that kinda sucks, IMO.

Wow, that's pretty deep. I say if they don't agree with you....kill em.
 
The people that bitched me out after I busted out laughing during a particular scene in Shindler's List.

I don't even want to know.

It's the same thing, really. I'm not even sure why you are confused. You can't either decide what offends another or what amuses another.
 
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I don't even want to know.

It's the same thing, really. I'm not even sure why you are confused. You can't either decide what offends another or what amuses another.

I'm not confused, quite the contrary actually. Just pointing out the conflict that exists when my laughing at something is deemed offensive to another and that in 100% of said instances, our culture deems me the bad guy.
 
I'm not confused, quite the contrary actually. Just pointing out the conflict that exists when my laughing at something is deemed offensive to another and that in 100% of said instances, our culture deems me the bad guy.

Nah, I disagree, sometimes I am offended by something that wouldn't ordinarily offend me and vice versa.
 
I'm not confused, quite the contrary actually. Just pointing out the conflict that exists when my laughing at something is deemed offensive to another and that in 100% of said instances, our culture deems me the bad guy.

Or maybe you're really a hero for fighting against rampant pcism.

;)
 
I don't follow inasmuch as that constitutes disagreement.


You said that when you are deemed offensive it is 100% conclusive, I disagree, many here have found you offensive at times, I find you entertaining and never offensive.:eusa_whistle:
 
You said that when you are deemed offensive it is 100% conclusive, I disagree, many here have found you offensive at times, I find you entertaining and never offensive.:eusa_whistle:

Ok, I get it now. However, the odd exception doesn't really negate the rule now does it? :eusa_whistle:
 
In the few years that I've been doing this messageboarding thing, there are several views that I came in with that I've allowed to be changed and/or softened by the articulate, well-reasoned wisdom of others. One such notion that I've begrudgingly accepted is the idea that you cannot tell others what they are allowed to find offensive. It certainly seems reasonable. Everyone has their own personal experiences and sensitive issues that others, who've never walked in their shoes, are incapable of understanding. I say that I've begrudgingly accepted this because there has always been something about it that still bothered me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. However, I couldn't refute the notion in any intellectually honest and reasoned manner so I accepted it.

Thanks to the unwitting influence of many members of this board, I believe I finally understand what bothers me about it, and indeed it represents a philosophical quandary. For the exact same reasons why I cannot tell anyone else what they are allowed to find offensive, they cannot tell me what I am allowed to find funny. Humor is just as much an emotional response as is offense. And nobody has walked in my shoes and understands the things I've seen and endured in my life which has given me the ability to see humor (whether a blessing or a curse) in events and comments that many others find not funny at all.

So what happens when I find something funny, and that in and of itself is offensive to someone else? I can't help finding it funny any more than they can help being offended, however, in our hyper-sensitive, politically correct culture, there is no compromise. I'm expected to supress my emotions. Period. End of discussion. And that kinda sucks, IMO.

Maybe you could just rejoice in the fact that you always have the right to tell someone that you find what they say offensive too !
 
The people that bitched me out after I busted out laughing during a particular scene in Shindler's List.

My wife scowls at me because I can't help howling at this--it's just about the funniest thing ever filmed:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ec-8mD_BhrU&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ec-8mD_BhrU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
 
The people that bitched me out after I busted out laughing during a particular scene in Shindler's List.

Lol...I'm with you. I laughed all the way through Forrest Gump when I saw it in a theater in Portland. Nobody else laughed. It was the second time my best friend had seen it.

She didn't know it was supposed to be funny, and said she was afraid to laugh when she thought it was! Forrest Gump!

Of course that left me hee-hawing for about another year.
 

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