I am sure many of us have been offended and have intentionally or unintentionally offended someone. But have you ever wonder why we get offended and what makes a statement or action offensive?
Yes, some people are hypersensitive but that is not my point. I do not get offended easily however one of the things that offends me is an insult to my intelligence, be it direct or implicit.
The usual careless statements about religion, race/ethnicity, culture and heritage can offend a lot of people. Studies have unveiled that the evolutionary forces that have made us cooperative and empathetic, have also made us prickly and explosive (www.slate.com). This paradox ensures that as we develop the necessary gratitude to live as social being and yet still have a side of vengeance which ensures that we don't get taken advantaged of. According to author Emily Yoffe, as social creatures our lives should be ruled by the three Rs - respect, reputation and reciprocity. Respect refers to the treatment we receive and give others. Reputation refers to the perception of the qualities we posses, and reciprocity refers to the fair response to our actions.
However, we do not live in a highly politically correct society and hence we cannot expect the people around us to treat us the way we would like. As such my advise to everyone and to myself is to continue to treat others with empathy and the 3Rs, but also to develop the ability to not let the action of others spoil your day.
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