"This is not a day care. This is a university!"

[Sausage_Boi]

http://www.okwu.edu/blog/2015/11/this-is-not-a-day-care-its-a-university/

This is amazing! I must express my support for this University president because he is exactly right. The University is supposed to prepare your mind for the real world. Get you ready to handle the adult world and help you develop the skills to navigate through it, and hopefully improve it to some degree. Whiners have taken over in my country and we are fat, and lazy and cry about the slightest perceived offense.

There is a marked difference between someone being a jerk and trying to offend you, and you feeling offended because you heard or seen something that made you uncomfortable. If the former, then Jerkface is in the wrong, and while I don't agree with restricting his rights or freedoms, he should be told that he's being a dick and needs to leave. if the latter...why don't you just go somewhere else? Or strengthen your mind?
 

I want to puke everytime I hear the phrase "trigger warning". We are turning into a bunch of soft, whiny cowards who need an "authority figure" to deal with our problems, or someone to 'keep us safe' in our mental space. Because we, as children in adult bodies, are incapable of being adults and we need to find someone else to do it for us. It's disgusting.

Go out. Live Life. Face the facts. Find as much material as you can of what offends you and absorb it until it no longer offends, and you can live with the fact. Stop whining.

Whining will fix nothing! Hats off to Dr. Everett Piper.

Lol, in the end, I guess this is kind of whining, isn't it? aaah, if there was any more irony, you could stick a magnet to it...

or something. Sorry. That's a bad joke

 

[Ms Littlefish]

I think what boggles my mind, is that the majority of society is well aware that it has real issues and as a whole needs to make some difficult changes. But then there are some individuals who would rather deny facts and completely redefine how society interacts so that they don't need to make difficult changes and improvements to their individual self. 

 

[Alexander Amnell]

   I'm so tired of the news cycle right now that I'm now avoiding even the reputable, non-mainstream sources I normally rely on. It's amazing what two generations of teaching children how special they are through the mantra of self esteem can wreak a culture. I'm so sick of hearing college kids ***** about how college is a place to shelter them in their fragile delusions of what life is about rather than a place of learning. How the hell can someone learn anything if all bloody ideas that they (the student there to LEARN) disagree with are to become taboo?! Based on the limited experiences of college kids sheltered throughout their childhoods we are now going to judge what is acceptable to learn and what is to offensive to acknowledge? Seriously?! 

   At least someone somewhere has the nerve to stand up to this BS. I'm getting equally tired with the people at the top of the educational institutions folding to the demands of the student for the 'good of the institution' (or the good of it's wallet at least) because they are too afraid to face the media backlash that stirs the ignorance pot and incites violence in the name of tolerance that befalls anyone who dares to stand up to stupidity in modern America these days.

   What is even more disgusting is that this crap takes center stage in our country when we have a nearly 30 trillion dollar economy of which barely 500 billion is in physical, backed currency and the rest existing only as that greatest of traps known as credit. On the verge of an economic collapse the likes of which the world has never seen we shout entitlement from the rooftops. So  narcissistic have we become that in this sinking ship we're in, rather than trying to save it and go on we all appear to be scrambling to the top so as to be the last to drown. 

   It wasn't so long ago that Americans scoffed at Argentina for it's foolishness, we still kind of arrogantly scoff at Greece now and again. Yet we've outpaced both their folly many times over and we fall for the same foolish narcissism that blinded them to their problems and it appears we're all to go down drowning each other for a few more seconds of air for ourselves. Disgusting doesn't actually define it.

 

[Natural]

There's a lot of it on twitter and social networks. Not sure if this is acceptable to say on the forum but people generally just like to "*****" just to do it. Some of these people have a terrible amount of unstable hormones. I think it's honestly ridiculous that some people get so butt hurt about something not so serious as well. Offending a person, understandable because of what they said. If they sound like an idiot then they might be an idiot. But if they don't understand why they might have sounded ignorant or unintellectual, etc then they might need to rethink some things. Not everybody is a genius (I'm not) so you can't expect yourself to be one if you're not. But that doesn't mean you can't work on how to become more intellectual through improving your vocabulary, and education, etc. You might be in a bad situation in your life and think you don't deserve to be there, but only you can make the effort to improve it and make it right. Don't blame other people for where you're currently now, although some people may be responsible for your lack of education. If you can't rely on them to teach you the right way, then rely on yourself and take studies into your own hands independently. You won't always have someone there to support you after high school so if someone is criticizing you and you're not doing anything about changing your own situation then they should. Sometimes it's difficult but you can do it. Don't ever give up because you think you can't do it. You might be in a bad situation but you won't be there forever unless you continue to dwell on it.

There are people out there that are generally "douchebags" but don't worry about them. They might say all these negative comments but some of these people are trying to motivate you to do good for yourselves even if it sound like they're being rude. Then there are those who are generally spiteful towards you and the rest of society. You should understand the differences between those kinds of people and the people who're trying to look after you instead of taking everything offensive. I'm not a person for negativity but some people just really need the push and the drive to do better. I think being positive 24/7 isn't always good either but it's definitely better than having a negative attitude and dwelling on what you could and should have done in the past. 

I had a friend who wanted to start a clothing company but he wanted to make shirt designs like something you could buy at walmart.. I wasn't trying to be negative but he got very offensive about it. I mean I was being honest with him, a lot of people just wouldn't buy stuff like that otherwise they'd be the next Armani in clothing marketing and wouldn't have to be sold at walmart but they're sold at walmart for a reason. A lot of people generally like unique or nice graphics on their clothing if there are any designs. I personally like plain clothing with or without nice design and not just random T-shirts with things that say dumb corny things and have horrible design. But that's my opinion you might like those kinds of things. I like guess, armani, express, etc and some could say that you discriminate since you like those brands. I like any brand if the clothing looks good and is of quality and doesn't fall apart. You could like something that has a skater look to it but you might never wear it. Everyone has their own style and their own opinions but don't get butthurt about opinions if you're asking for them or making comments on a forum, or social network. 

Probably sounds like rambling, but it has to do with people complaining about opinions or offensive remarks. The list goes on, people just need to stop lol. 

 

[Lunarea]

I tend to see this issue as a swing of the pendulum. Going from a society that was very rigid and taking decades or centuries for ideas to change, to one that's fluid - where things change almost daily.

Our society (as a whole) is now in a position where we can raise awareness for many issues - situations requiring extra care, a change in attitude or a new acceptance - with the goal of helping individuals be empowered and feel accepted. At its core, this is admirable and a great way to increase the growth and development of society as well as individuals. I think it's important to know what measures we can take to help people with disabilities, or to help individuals and/or groups feel safe in their environment.

But allowing for all of these compromises is difficult. In an effort to make one person feel more accepted, we sometimes end up going against what the rest of us feel is common sense. We end up being too protective or too accommodating. It's essentially the equivalent of awkwardly walking on eggshells after being told something we did is absolutely terrible. It takes a while to find that groove where we provide support for individuals while at the same time avoid having people feel like they have no personal responsibilities whatsoever.

In the past, people felt like they needed change for everyone else (society). Lately, people feel like everyone else (society) needs to change for them. It's the swing of the pendulum. And hopefully, someday soon we'll see it stop in the middle - where people accept personal responsibility, while living in a society that changes to adapt to their needs too.

 

[Emmych]

I think a lot of people choose not to understand what a trigger warning really is because it's more convenient to continue marginalizing people with mental illnesses or whom have experienced trauma rather than making an effort to show a little empathy and adjust their behaviour to accommodate the needs of other people.  It's not about being slightly offended, which sure is a rude way to minimize people's real life struggles.  This is about trauma responses, and being conscious of other people's mental health.

Here is what a trigger warning/content warning is: a way to respect your audience, so they can make an informed decision about whether or not they want to engage with something right now, in this moment.  It is not inherently a "AVOID THIS TOPIC FOREVER SO YOU DON"T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT~~~~", but rather a safeguard for people who may not be able to deal with a topic at a certain point in time.

idk, I see stuff like this and I have to wonder, "has the author ever experienced the sensation of being triggered?"   "Has the author ever experienced a panic attack?"  I think that, if they really have, they'd understand that it is a physiological response to stressful stimuli, and that it is an unbelievably inconvenient thing to experience in public, at work, at school, any place you want to focus on **** that's not your past trauma.  For the most part, these sort of responses are not something you can think your way out of as they occur: they take extensive effort and time to work through, and aren't something that can be fixed or stopped right as you're experiencing it.

Trigger/Content warnings aren't hard to include, and they are a way to respect marginalized members of your audience. If some people use them to eternally avoid facing their problems, that's their choice.  Most people are going to use them as a metric of "can I deal with this right now", so including them actually makes your work more accessible to a wider audience.  So, like, knock it off with the sweeping statements about cowardice, maaan.  It's wicked rude.

@Luna: This is where my talk about accessibility comes in.  tbh, asking for measures to be taken to accommodate people who are, to a certain extent, disabled by trauma IS asking for society to change.  Society has never been kind to people with mental illnesses and has never made an effort to make the world more accessible to disabled folks, so this is certainly not a "me me me" kind of change.  It's part of a necessary shift in attitude as to how people view mental illness and trauma.

 

[Sausage_Boi]

I used to experience anxiety that was getting kind of bad. I used to never be able to explain why or what caused it, and I still can't, certain things trigger it, like a bunch of strangers I don't know, even if we are getting to know each other. I meditate a lot and it helps keep my mind and feelings under control. I DON'T have PTSD, but many people I know do. Most of them veterans who have seen things that we can only imagine. I've heard some of their sanitized tales and it makes me shudder. People talking about hosing corpses in the desert so they don't stink. Human bodies rent in twain, that sort of thing. One of my friends had such a traumatic experience, BEING BLOWN UP IN A HUMVEE, that he nearly craps himself if he hears a balloon pop. My mother had some huge drug addict smash her door down, and proceed to enter the house over her and the door. She survived, but she has PTSD. 2 of the girls I went to school with were assaulted in manners that are beyond disgusting. One later took her own life. I can't pretend to know what they experienced, or how they manage and I wouldn't say they should "toughen up", because they have actual, real problems. The lady on twitter who somehow or other got PTSD from a troll is beyond offensive. The guy in the original article (linked in OP) who said he was offended at a sermon because it reminded him he didn't show enough love in his life, and he complained about it. The woman who says she can't finish her degree in 4 years because "reading about historical figures is too psychologically taxing". They need to be taken to a nice quiet room and given a long talk about their behavior and instructed in the proper ways to conduct themselves as adults. None of my friends have flown off the handle and tried to have people removed from their job because "somebody offended them". Especially not some historical figure long dead before their birth. That is the level of absurdity I am referring to. I understand there are real people with real problems, that can't just be magically cured. But for someone to play thought police because somebody somewhere might hear about it later and be offended. Or even worse, for someone to put on a show of offense in someone else's stead. Its utter garbage. Again, I don't advocate being a complete unempathetic jerk, there is a time and a place for everything. But being offended by words is just the ultimate form of weakness. Being so insecure in your own mind you need to block off all contact with reality just to suffer through a day. how is that living? I am not saying go out of your way to say offensive things, and be offensive. That's just rude. I do advocate privately absorbing as much material as you can that you find offensive until it rolls off like dew on a plant leaf. Then understand that these things happen, both in fiction and in real life. And being offended about it fixes nothing.

Society has made HUUUGE advances in regards to mental illness. We don't beat them and force feed them sheep dung anymore. We don't write it off as a "character deficiency" anymore. We (hopefully) have less nutjobs like Dr. Ewan Cameron in the field of psychiatry.

There are a lot of problems with the world as a whole, and fighting about words and being offended about stupid things is not an effective strategy until everything else is taken care of.
Did you know peoples homes are being bulldozed illegally right now? Wheres the offense? the outrage? The civilians in Crimea are getting their homes blasted with artillery. People in syria are being slaughtered daily. saudi arabia just ****ing CRUCIFIED A MAN IN 2015! and all we can think about is "oh, my anxiety might be triggered if I see a word in a book." When on the other side of the world people are saying, "Oh, I could end up in jail or dead because of a book."

It is self absorbed and disgusting to think the world is so well off we can complain about people on twitter causing PTSD. THAT is what I was ranting against.

 

[Lunarea]

@Emmych:

I do completely agree that education and accessibility are important - that people have a right to feel safe and comfortable. But - and this is where the problem starts to rise - sometimes certain individuals expect this to come at the absolute expense of someone else (or even a lot of someone else's) without any compromise or attempt to get help.

I don't feel that it's fair at all that (for example) my son can't give me a hug when he's shy and scared in public because it might trigger some random stranger. And it's not that I'm callous or unsympathetic to people for who this would be a trigger, but that I'm being forced to place their mental health and comfort over my son's. Or, worse yet, mentally agonize over which is more damaging in that brief moment.

So, I still stand by my original statement that there ought to be a balance. I accept and encourage that society ought to put their comfort aside to accommodate individuals with mental health issues and to change in a way that's more inclusive. But I also expect said individuals to make the same effort and to consider the needs of people around them too.

 

[Emmych]

@Luna: ehh, see, the example you give here is an example of something that DOES require great sacrifice, and is outside of what a trigger warning is. I'm talking about warning labels on media and course material that exists for the sake of people who need that to make an informed choice about whether they are able to engage wirh something. This is not about taking offense to certain subjects, but a part of managing your illness.

Of course you can't account for every trigger or every behaviour that may trigger another person, and it is unreasonable to live your life like that. I know I have a personal trigger -- a smell -- that I would in no way fault anyone for accidentally tripping. But stuff like "this game has frank discussion of rape/abuse/death" is not an unreasonable thing to ask for. People who choose not to put content warnings down because they don't want to "coddle" people are missing the point/not practicing empathy, imo.

Honestly I think we're on the same page here!