Get fired up! Come on, rant and rave until you lose your voice. Throw things, and then kick the cat for good measure. Don't back off; tell them just how you feelsay it, "I'M FED UP WITH THIS CRAP. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" How does that soundpolitically correct? I don't think so but it sure feels good. Right?
Political correctness is:
telling someone "to go to hell" in a way that
they're looking forward to taking the trip.
Have we carried political correctness too far? Some say yes, loudly, while others say no, we haven't gone far enough, we need to be even more sensitive. One could say being politically correct is not speaking what's truly on your mind, taking the safe road to avoid any confrontation. The flip side is . . . being straightforward, pulling no punches, being blunt. To me making the correct choice can't be viewed as a black and white picture. There are shades of gray mixed in, creating moments of doubt. Not all is written in stone. What should you do? That choice is yours, it's personal. Do you want to show empathy and spare someone's feeling or do you let them have it with both barrels? Full blast.
Why would anyone say something in a politically correct way? I openly admit the only time I'm politically correct with my wife is when I know I'm in trouble. Don't laugh guys; you know what I'm talking about. Think a minute. When you're shooting the bull with your best friend or someone you know very well, do you worry about being politically correct? No! You're relaxed and at ease? The fear of being judged or being held liable doesn't enter your mind. You're speaking from the heart. Even if the two of you disagree there's no reason to be concerned about reprisal. Is there? Being politically correct is a defense mechanism, pure and simple; it's playing it safe, and in most instances is never as effective as being open and candid; take notice I didn't say rude and insensitive. Political correctness has become a necessity of our times. Lawyers have to eat to you know. Our bone jumping society has made folks skittish about speaking their mind. "THEY SAID WHAT? GETA ROPE!"
Ever heard this one? "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all." I heard my grandma say that when I was just a young boy. There are times when silence speaks volumes. Did you know silence is a form of communications? My wife does. You knowthe silent treatment. However there are times when a response is required. But is it necessary to be rude or disrespectful to someone by being insensitive for sake of expression your opinion? I hope not. Inversely is it helpful if you fail to address the issue in an effective and firm manner? Dancing all around the point but never really saying it. No, that doesn't solve much either. So maybe there's a middle ground.
There are several key points to be considered before spouting off. Remember those gray areas? Keyhow urgent is the message you're trying to get across. E.g. you could say, "John I don't want to interfere in your life but if it would alright with you I'd like to give you a little advise, that is if you don't mind. You're about to be hit in the head by a flying brick. Or you could say, "John duck!" Sometimes it's ok to be blunt. Keyhow well do you know the people or their motives for drawing you into making a statement? How's it go "Anything you say can and will be Keyhow many times have you attempted to get the point across in a sensitive and kindly manner? E.g. #1" I'm disappointed in how your room looks Johnny, it really needs cleaned up." Three hours pass- No action. #2 "I see your room is still a mess, you will pick it up soon won't you?" Two more hours passStill no action # 3 "get this room cleaned up now or you're grounded for the next two weeks." Now he understands. I got action.
I think you get the point. There is a time and place for all things that have purpose. Being politically correct or being outspoken, either one can be appropriate depending upon the circumstances. Concerning the question of has it gone too far? I would say yes it hasif the proponents of it insist it's the only acceptable behavior. For those of you who shoot from the hip as a knee jerk reaction, and detest wishy washy answers, perhaps learning to read between the lines may be something very helpful to you. There have always been people you couldn't get a straight answer from if you held a gun to their head, and there have always been the ones who spoke their piece with no qualms about it.
There are 20 words or terms in my thesaurus I could substitute for "politically correct" and there are 20 I could interchange for "blunt". So let's call it a tie. Either way you choose, you're at risk of annoying someone, so pick your poison. Oh by the wayplease don't kick the cat, I was just joking.
Afraid of risk? Ponder this..
Life is so risky you aren't going to get out of alive!