: Re: To what extent should we fear giving offense? Recently we have seen multiple questions on various aspects of political correctness. They have sparked some measure of disagreement, which is what

@Correia211

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I'm sorry but I am offended. I'm not sure what my issue is, but in these times, that does not seem to matter. It is the age of outrage.

If you buy into the above nonsense, you will never write anything. If anyone in the entire world can shut you down simply by saying, "I am offended", there is no point even starting.

It seems that every statement has a counter statement. There are those who think that the world is flat and are offended by all of this talk of spheres. Should I not speak of globes because someone might be offended. My point is that the only safe haven is silence, and even that silence is offensive to some.

What you write is a pebble thrown into the water. Ripples ensue. What you and every other creator must decide is whether what you created provides more value than heartache. If what you write lifts up a thousand and offends a single individual, it that a failure? Could you arrange things differently to avoid the offense? If you can do so without diminishing the benefit for the thousand, perhaps you should do that. But what if that effort gets in the way of providing additional benefits? Continue this line of thinking for long enough and the madness comes.

I will end with an old adage: it is easier to seek forgiveness after the fact than to obtain permission before. Write. Seek feedback. Tally up the good and the bad. Learn. But above all else, act.

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