experiencing disadvantage and discrimination.Political correctness is intended to help us use language that helps instead of harms. Whether the discrimination comes from racism, homophobia, sexism or transphobia, the bottom line remains the same. ‘Being PC’ just means you understand that your actions affect people who are vulnerable to discrimination. While things can occasionally get out of hand when people forget what certain concepts such as ‘cultural appropriation’ mean, it’s important that we’re all aware of the effects of our actions and words.
The notion of political correctness came into use among Communists in the 1930s as a semi-humorous reminder that the Party’s interest is to be treated as a reality that ranks above reality itself . Because all progressives, Communists included, claim to be about creating new human realities, they are perpetually at war against nature’s laws and limits. But since reality does not yield, progressives end up pretending that they themselves
embody those new realities. Hence, any progressive movement’s nominal goal eventually ends up being subordinated to the urgent, all-important question of the movement’s own power. Because that power is insecure as long as others are able to question the truth of what the progressives say about themselves and the world, progressive movements end up struggling not so much to create the promised new realities as to force people to speak and act as if these were real: as if what is correct politically.
A good way people engage every day is by considering each other’s feelings, each other’s sense of security, since this shows some modicum of respect for another. Saying “thank you” when the barista gives you your coffee. Apologizing if you bump into someone on the bus. It’s rewarding, since people generally do not want to associate with those who make them uncomfortable. It feels nice when we’re nice to each other.“political correctness” is “a derogatory description coined in the 1990s to label those contending, in part, that language was a weapon used by the powerful to deny the interests of the oppressed.” But today, the concept is again making the rounds, aligning with the rise of authoritarianism, white nationalism, and growing anti-progressive sentiment. Those for whom the very existence of the marginalized is a threat find themselves on the defensive. Language, conduct, and attitudes that for so long went unchallenged now are finally being called out by those negatively affected. Instead of acceding or listening to marginalized voices, however, those in power dismiss us, saying we’re only after “political correctness.”
Why some people think ‘PC culture’ is a bad thing
When people complain about ‘political correctness gone mad’, it’s usually because they associate being PC with being unable to act and behave as they please. Oftentimes, people who practise political correctness are accused of denying other people the right to free speech, or of ‘sucking the fun’ out of everything.
The argument that being PC prevents freedom of speech is flawed. Freedom of speech gives a person the right to say what they feel, but it also gives other people the right to point out if they are being offensive. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean your words can’t be criticised; it just means you can’t be silenced.
Some people also ignore political correctness for the sake of having a laugh. When someone jokes about a group they’re not a part of, their words can contribute to discrimination against that group. The person who is making the joke doesn’t have a lot to lose, but the people who are the butt of the joke often do
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