In the world we see, it seems very easy to offend someone; just a casual comment, question, or joke, even an opinion shared with clean intentions, can be labeled as an offense. That is why before I speak, I have to think properly. I am among the set of people that have developed caution about expressing myself.
If there is one moral I learned very well, it is respecting people’s feelings. My mom made me realize the importance of words and how powerful they can be. Words can inspire and encourage but also hurt at the same time. It is very important that we should communicate with empathy; we should be mindful of our actions so that they will not hurt people. We have gotten to find out something lately: if we always have this thought that we don’t want to offend someone, believe me, there will be no honest conversation, which means people will never share their genuine thoughts because they don’t want to offend someone.
Of late I find myself in the category of people who will mentally edit their words before they say them. My worry has always been for me not to be misunderstood or judged by a statement I made. Many times people around me will ask why I am always silent. I choose silence because that is the safest thing to do. Inasmuch as it may seem like it is reducing conflict, it also reduces sharing of ideas.
If we can be honest, most conversations that will yield fruit mostly involve disagreement and challenges, which will help us grow, but if everyone keeps running away from making mistakes, conversations will be less frequent, which is, you know, valuing avoiding offense more than clarity or understanding ourselves.
How come the big question is our growing sensitivity taking our voice away or not?
The problem started when every uncomfortable idea was treated as harmful; the society we see ourselves in failed to understand that there is a big difference between deliberately insulting someone and someone expressing an opinion another person didn’t consider. What happened to those days that people could dialogue and solve their issues? Now people are condemned without finding out what the problem is or seeking clarity.
Communication is too important; it shouldn’t be a one-way process. Communication should be a two-way process. While the speaker is trying to pick their words carefully, it is also important that listeners should ask questions before assuming. Give the speaker an opportunity to explain themselves rather than condemning them; it will help prevent unnecessary conflict.
Social media is not doing us any good; a post can be misinterpreted, and the outrage spreads faster than the understanding. I don’t know if there's a space that judges quickly like social media. There should be a healthy approach to this, balancing honesty with empathy. People should always feel free to express their opinions; they should also be ready to listen, learn, and apologize when necessary. The same applies to people that are receiving the message; they should ask for clarification and extend grace.
Is the solution speaking less? No, the best thing is to communicate properly; we should be patient, respectful, and free. Expression should not be an enemy; rather, they should work best when they exist together.
I think the real question should not be whether people have become too easily offended or if free speech is disappearing; rather, the question should be, how do we build a society where people can speak with honesty and empathy?
All images are generated with ChatGPT
This is my entry on the weekly prompt #hivelearners #hl-w224e2 topic: get offensive.
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