by Joanne Smith

Created on: November 13, 2008   Last Updated: April 02, 2012

Offend is a powerful word. It holds a great significance to the people around us. It is where our everyday actions have the power to put someone on the defensive. It is where a tip can be denied because of our timing and where our religion can get us killed.

Do we have the right to offend someone, who is qualified to answer this question? Even our most sacred Gods have been at the root of religious wars and were executed based on their beliefs.

During childhood we are exposed to a variety of beliefs and ideas. We decide along the way which ones we will adhere to and which ones we will ignore.  We begin this process with which rules we will obey and which ones we will chose not to follow. We base this on our personalities and our lifestyles.

Even the most dedicated Christian follower does not take the steps necessary to become a nun or priest. It does not mean they love their God any less than religious leaders, it simply indicates that they require more out of their own life than what the confines of being in that role would allow.

Many people love their country but millions of people will never put their bodies on the line to protect it. Does this boil down to courage or politics or simply a different need in life?

Offence comes from immaturity. A lack of understanding someone else’s perspective. It comes from an assumed right to be the only person with opinions and the only one who can truly be correct in a world full of people who do not follow your rules, and do not act the way you determined they should act. Offence comes from the ability to enforce your laws onto another person or judge them based on their lack of awareness on what limits and etiquettes you have set.

Country to country, town to town people have a sense of normalcy. It is this normalcy that creates the sensation of being safe and a sense of belonging.  Having something disrupt the ordinary can cause a sense of tension and defensiveness amongst people. We hold our values and beliefs very close to us as it is our boundaries, the thing that keeps us apart from other people.  Knowing those boundaries allows us to be successful and creates an environment that is predictable. It labels us who we are and how we act appropriately based on that.

The right to be offended is no different than the right to offend. It means being brought up in a different culture. It means that you perceive the world differently and carry different views then other people. The word offend means you live and breath in a world full of people who have their own lives and backgrounds in which you do not understand

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