To think that “being offended” has replaced having a personality?

[ThisSnappyHawk]

Some people seem to spend their entire lives looking for things to be outraged by. AIBU to think it’s all performative and most people aren’t even genuinely hurt, they’re just bored?

You can't have a disagreement with anyone these days even over cake without it escalating into an offence

Some people seem to spend most of their time looking for opportunities to complain about how people these days are perpetually offended, which is just as bad.

AIBU to think people who post generalisations are just bored and looking for a bunfight?

Somewhere in between. I think the range of things people are offended about has broadened, and the level of offence considered acceptable to things which would have once been considered minor increased. Add to this the arrival of some rather dramatic and hyperbolic language to describe the feeling when someone says something you don't like, and it can certainly seem that way. However, I also think its a claim made by people who believe they can say what they please, regardless of how sexist, ageist or racist it is, and that anyone objecting is over sensitive, so I'd be hesitant to dismiss all offence as 'performative' and fake.

I do think people tend towards the dramatic these days. It’s annoying as everything is a massive problem. There’s no room for nuance. I feel like I’m talking to little children and trying to get them to recognise the difference between a big problem and a little problem and the different strategies and timescales for dealing with them.

I hate how “offended” has become the default negative reaction. What happened to angered, outraged, irritated, bored etc? The problem with “offended” is that it’s used in a way that doesn’t brook disagreement- I am offended ergo you said something offensive and should shut up. The person who gets to decide whether it was offensive is the hearer, not the speaker. But most of the time these are just subjective views.

Just because someone is offended it doesn’t make it offensive.

You seem pretty outraged op.

Is your personality based on being anti-woke?

Exactly - it’s become a kind of conversation stopper. Of course some things genuinely are offensive but sometimes “I’m offended” gets used to shut down discussion rather than clarify or engage. There’s a difference between being harmed and just not liking what someone said.

People generally now live by the maxim they can do just what they like and don't care how their behaviour affects others.

So people now are more offensive than when we actually lived by a code of manners and civil behaviour.

They are. Best ignored.🙄