What are your thoughts on "political correctness"?

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I was going to post the following comment in the "The world is confusing" thread, but I didn't want to derail it too much. I thought it was worth its own discussion thread.

agree with you wholeheartedly.

I would call a female firefighter a firefighter because it's inaccurate to call her a "fireman", but in general, I don't think that political correctness is good. It's a type of deception. Using political correctness doesn't get rid of negative feelings toward someone or something. It just hides said feelings.

It's good to try to make people not think negatively about someone, but trying to do so by restricting language is ineffective and I think it creates resentment, which reinforces negative thoughts.

In what way is it a type of deception?

Whether or not a person celebrates Christmas, Christmas is a recognized holiday in many parts of the world. I don't see anything wrong with saying Merry Christmas to anyone regardless of their religion.

Over the years, I have known plenty of people who are not at all Christian who have absolutely problem with wishing or being wished "Merry Christmas". I've even eaten Christmas Dinner with some.

I think I agree with the quote in the OP. It really makes sense. I tend to want to be politically correct because it really is correct. You can never imagine how some innocent-sounding joke could hurt someone.

I've given up on being politically correct. I just can't do it, no matter what.

I think no one has the right to not be offended. When people get offended I have an urge to offend them more. Trying to keep people from being offended is the same as trying to restrict other peoples' free speech. I don't like people who let other people know that they are offended, because that is the same as saying that they expect other people to change their behavior just to keep from feeling uncomfortable.

Yes, I am willing to be polite. For example, if most Asian people prefer to be referred as Asian rather than more old-fashioned terms, I am willing to do that.

And we on the Spectrum also face these issues. The whole question with 'people first' language. I'm actually a loosey-goosey about this and like 'Aspie,' 'Spectrum,' maybe other terms. I really want nonspectrum people to understand that first and foremost being on the Asperger's-Autism Spectrum is about sensory issues and social issues (for many of us).

*I meant sensory issues and processing issues. Social issues come later.

**And I want stimming to be more matter-of-factly understood and more socially acceptable. I mean, quote-unquote 'normal' people stim, too (and no such thing as normal anyway and how boring the world if there were! ) But somehow the way a 'normal' person stims is viewed as more sociable acceptable.

At best, it's an attempt to raise people's awareness with a simple "good/bad" meme, because you can't expect a complicated explanation to catch on. It can work. At worst, though, it's a way for highly educated people (usually highly educated white women) to shut everyone else up. Yep, I fall into that category and try to avoid this behavior.

Political correctness has, in its most developed form, jargon of its own and is anything but easy to understand, and asking for clarification is a transgression in itself. I kid you not, I've seen groups of the above-mentioned highly educated white women use the "it's not my job to teach you" response (on someone else, not me) when asked a question about racism. This is a response that is understandable for someone who is part of the marginalized group in question; it might be reasonable for me to say "as a woman I am sick of explaining sexism and it isn't my duty to teach everyone before I can expect to be treated respectfully", but there is no reason for white people to say the same with regard to racism.

You also get privileged groups co-opting pc memes to get their way. Basically, political correctness has the same advantages and disadvantages all simplifications of a message do. Unfortunately ideas generally have to be reduced almost to primitive grunting before they catch on: "Good. Bad. Do. Don't. Yes. No". It also seems necessary for there to be rigid rules and jargon. Either you don't "get" it and find it absurd, or you do get it and suddenly everyone who doesn't is despicable.