I really dont want to get into this any further, because there is zero upside, but often I see people complaining about political correctness gone amok or some such; my reaction is usually incredulousness and/or immediate suspicion about whether the speaker is making excuses for their own bigotry. But lately Ive started to wonder if maybe theres some truth there. Not so much that political correctness—which I see as xenophobe code for respect and tolerance—is a bad thing. But rather that our addiction to outrage, amplified on platforms that prize fleeting indignation over thoughtful consideration, may be getting out of hand. Im not gonna say that Twitter activism cant have an impact, just like Im not gonna say that online petitions cant be demonstrative of critical mass. But when we become numb to nuance and perspective, we lose the ability to nurture the kind of change we really want to see—the kind that takes time, and often involves compromise. Obviously, some things—like racism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry—are not deserving of compromise and should be confronted. Still, where we have an opportunity to affect minds by broadening others perspectives, rather than humiliating them, we should take it. And we should not be afraid of broadening our own perspectives. And this might include the occasional check-in on our own belief systems to see if theyve become overly rigid or are working at cross purposes to our desire to have a positive impact.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 20:20:32 +0000