Easily Offended Much?

I’m offended by how easily people get offended.

I’m an individual who possesses a lot of traits – but being intolerable is not one of them.  I’m a person who accepts all walks of life.  Live and let live, if you will.  I like to think I’m in tune to the feelings of people around me, but for the life of me I cannot understand how people seem to get offended over trivial things now more than ever.

I’m not going to try and defend the bullies, creeps, racists, homophobes, sexists and ne’er-do-wells of the world.  I’m a firm believer those kinds of people will get what’s coming to them no matter what deity you choose to believe in, or don’t believe in.  I will say, though, that society as a whole can cool it with getting up in arms over every single thing that happens in the world.  I’m referring to the no-sense-of-humor, censor everything, abundantly uneducated, hypocritical type of person that can’t take a damn joke.

It’s funny, in an ironic way, that these kinds of people never dare to create any sort of art in this heavily-laden PC culture we live in, but have all the time in the world to criticize those who have dared to create such a thing for the masses.  Every kind of art comes from our deepest vulnerabilities as human beings and it’s hard to take into consideration every little thing that will offend someone when you’re creating that art.

There’s debate on who said this quote first, so I will paraphrase in the hopes of quoting everyone who’s said this and believes it:  “You can either laugh or cry at the world.  I choose to laugh.”  You don’t understand how much value comedy has.  Comedy makes the world look at itself in the mirror.  Sometimes the world doesn’t like what it sees and that’s when people will take offense.

Has anyone ever said out loud or to themselves, “You know what my favorite type of person is?  Those who complain ALL the time!”  I’m going to wager no.  If you find yourself being the type of person who complains a lot, chances are you’re already offended by my article, or you think this article is a big complaint in and of itself.  If you do think that, you’re REALLY missing the point.

I’m not saying you should never be offended. It’s only human to feel that way sometimes.  What I’m getting at is that you shouldn’t bottle up everything you feel, but maybe take a step back and realize it’s dumb to think Starbucks has ruined Christmas by only having red cups and no specific Christmas designs to them.  Maybe realize that someone who is making fun of your religion is doing it to be funny and relate with you because their religion, or lack thereof, gets made fun of all the time just like yours does.

If you could learn to not be easily offended, you will be less of a buzzkill.  Art, comedy, and gluten are some of the best things this world offers as a way of enjoyment.  People who don’t have a sense of humor simply aren’t fun.  Do you enjoy interacting with people who aren’t fun in some kind of way?  If you answered yes, get yourself checked out, there’s something wrong with you.  If you answered no, you’ve already been enjoying life to the fullest because if you can’t laugh at life and the world around you, you’ll truly never experience freedom.