The “hypothetical people that don’t even exist” would be “people who are offended by comment X”. Given how often people are mistaken about what might give offense, it’s easy for some crusader to start campaigning on behalf of someone who doesn’t want or need their help.
Another critique of offense once-removed comes from the comedian Bill Maher. He rails against what he calls “feigned outrage”, which he takes to be mostly to be aimed at establishing one’s status as a defender of the weak.
I don’t think second-hand offense is all conscious signaling, but it’s certainly sometimes inapt and even a little patronizing.
I’ve complained about racist comments in various net communities I’ve been a part of, and been met with the excuse “you’re not even Mexican, don’t be so intolerant” etc.
I don’t mind leaving the “that’s unfairly demeaning of X-people” argument as long as there are refutations available independent of that. But there are certain offenses which, when met with only silence, could result in every single offended person simply deciding that the community is not worth it, leaving without even a reply.
That’s clearly not the case re: the pickup teapot’s tempest.
When we find such crusaders, we should criticize and downvote them appropriately. We should all avoid being ones ourselves. And, on a different note, we should establish a norm in which declarations of offensiveness require justification.
None of these require that we restrict all complaints of offense to when we are personally insulted. That requirement would almost entirely eliminate complaints even in the face of endemic bad behavior, which is precisely what we do not want.
The “hypothetical people that don’t even exist” would be “people who are offended by comment X”. Given how often people are mistaken about what might give offense, it’s easy for some crusader to start campaigning on behalf of someone who doesn’t want or need their help.
Another critique of offense once-removed comes from the comedian Bill Maher. He rails against what he calls “feigned outrage”, which he takes to be mostly to be aimed at establishing one’s status as a defender of the weak.
I don’t think second-hand offense is all conscious signaling, but it’s certainly sometimes inapt and even a little patronizing.
I’ve complained about racist comments in various net communities I’ve been a part of, and been met with the excuse “you’re not even Mexican, don’t be so intolerant” etc.
I don’t mind leaving the “that’s unfairly demeaning of X-people” argument as long as there are refutations available independent of that. But there are certain offenses which, when met with only silence, could result in every single offended person simply deciding that the community is not worth it, leaving without even a reply.
That’s clearly not the case re: the pickup teapot’s tempest.
When we find such crusaders, we should criticize and downvote them appropriately. We should all avoid being ones ourselves. And, on a different note, we should establish a norm in which declarations of offensiveness require justification.
None of these require that we restrict all complaints of offense to when we are personally insulted. That requirement would almost entirely eliminate complaints even in the face of endemic bad behavior, which is precisely what we do not want.
I don’t think we actually have any points of disagreement here.