To think that being offended is often just a way to feel powerful when you’re otherwise powerless?

[SharpPlayer]

Feeling offended can sometimes be a flex to seize moral authority.

Yes, that’s true.

YABU

Surely it depends on whether it's your real emotions or whether it's just a hyperbolic over-reaction contrived for the sake of virtue signalling? One is genuine and the other is... well unreasonable.

Yes its like,

I think I'm right!

No I think I'm right!

Your wrong!

I'm OFFENDED!

and everyone rushes in to comfort the offended one

Like being offended somehow trumps the right/wrong in every situation

Exactly and I think that’s the crux of it. Theres a difference between genuinely being hurt and performing offence to gain the upper hand or shut someone down.

What I’m pushing back against is when offence becomes a kind of power play - not an emotional response but a tactic. It’s less “I’m harmed” and more “you’re morally beneath me now and I get to control the narrative.” That kind of posturing isn’t about repair or understanding - it’s about status.