Do you know what I hear a lot more than I wish I did? "People get so offended, so easily today. It's 2017, learn to take a joke". Have you maybe stopped to think that maybe the reason I'm offended is I don't know...because you said something offensive? I sit here and laugh at stupid videos using text-to-speech voices and jumping birds I just don't like racist jokes or jokes about sexual assault. As soon as I react negatively suddenly I'm "triggered" and wow they hit the nail right on the head. Truth be told I will react to all the terrible jokes you make, just not the way you want me to.
And when I don't react the way you want me to THAT'S when YOU become defensive. You will say "wow look who's triggered" more than likely as a defense mechanism than an attempted stab at someone because suddenly you've met someone with a decent head on their shoulders and now you have to justify your joke by telling me that I'm "too easily offended". That in itself is a joke. Feel free to think what you want about me, but I won't laugh at the words you spit from your mouth just because you think you make me feel bad about being offended.
Side note: If you're opening a statement with "not to be racist or anything but..." - odds are anything followed by that is going to be racist. "Not to be sexist or anything" more than likely will come before a sexist statement. But go ahead and parade around thinking you're neither of those things. You trying to save face doesn't change what you said.
Then we ostracize people for needing a place to feel safe. "We can't coddle these kids! They need to learn to get over things. This is the real world!" But then we have people and students and children committing suicide over things that make them feel bad. "We should've done more to save them. They had such a bright future!" Yeah, you're right. They did. But we make people feel bad for needing a place to go when the world becomes too much. They don't need to be there permanently but EVERYONE needs to take a break at some point. If you don't need to take a break then good for you. You cannot complain about anything because your life is perfect just the way it is.
Truth be told I'd rather be in a safe space than a lonely place. What I mean by that is people who are "too easily offended" tend to be ostracized from the world for not having a sense of humor, and I'd rather be in a safe space with people who also need a safe space than end up alone. I enjoy being sensitive and I enjoy being offended by things that are legitimately offensive. I don't find pleasure in other peoples' discomfort, so if you're gonna drop me as a friend because I won't laugh at your garbage jokes then please - feel free to do so.
I don't live in an alternate universe where I need things to be safe all day every day, but I do need an environment that is AT LEAST comfortable. I'm okay with that, and you should be too. I have a good idea. Let's just listen to each other. Let's compromise. If you offend me then go away. If my needing a safe space bothers you - go away. All that matters to me is that I'm okay. I will focus on myself and so should everyone else.
Now I am well aware that there is a limit. Where people overreact to material and it can get out of hand. I'm not afraid to say there's another side to the coin because there ARE individuals who take being offended too far. I see it daily and I'm guilty of doing it every once in a while. When I feel myself overreacting I need to take it in a step-by-step process though. I figure it out for myself. Which is how it should be.
Don't bother other people. Let them live their lives. If they need help, let them get help. It's not coddling, it's admitting that there's a problem and letting them get the help they need. It's okay to be upset. Let's normalize that. Let's normalize not being okay. Let's normalize being bothered and offended by things that are bothersome and offensive.
Let's normalize everything that involves people taking care of their mental health without the fear of being judged.
