The League of the Perpetually Offended (Updated from 5/10/2015)

 

per·pet·u·al

pərˈpeCH(əw)əl/

adjective

1. never ending or changing.

2. occurring repeatedly; so frequent as to seem endless and uninterrupted.

of·fend·ed

əˈfendid/

adjective

1. resentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult.

******************** 

As the definitions seem to bear out, there isn't much wiggle room for defining the "perpetually offended" as anything other than being in a state of permanent offense.  One has to believe that to exist in this state of perpetual anger must expend a butt load of valuable energy that might be better used exercising peaceful tranquility and ignoring all else.  I would think one would be walking around like a loaded weapon, with the hammer pulled back and a finger on the trigger at all times, just waiting for the knee-jerk reaction that will unlock some euphoric, antisocial, sense of self-satisfaction.  How sad that must be for people caught up in this personality disorder.  

"Being offended is a full-time job for many. It's a tedious task, for it requires enormous amounts of imagination and creativity, relentless pursuit of an audience willing to swallow the notion of the offense, and then a never-let-go nursing of the manufactured hurt until the protagonist actually begins to believe his or her own grievance. Sadder than the proliferation of the perpetually offended is the reaction from what should be a sane and rational public. Wouldn't it be great if they could simply laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all and refuse to be cowered into a catalog of words that will placate the whining class? But it's impossible to satisfy the whiners. People who live off their self-inflicted emotional wounds don't want a resolution, or even a true conversation to help them understand the feelings of another. So the attempt to accommodate them creates a never-ending retreat on the part of common sense and a surrender to irrational demands."

-- Mike Huckabee

The majority of us, most often, don't agree with the perpetually offended.  There are times when I have to wonder if we really don't agree with them or if we've just grown so tired of listening to their incessant bullshit we tune them out, even if we do agree.

I'm not so sure they are necessarily victims of "self-inflicted emotional wounds."  I think there may be a good many of them that have been created, by accident or design, through the actions of their parents, the educational system, and/or society as a whole.  We tend to produce "damaged goods" in our current quest for mediocrity, but this is a topic best left for the political arena.  As to Mr. Huckabee's statement, how many times in the very recent past have we witnessed this "surrender to irrational demands," and how many times have you wondered why?  

I run into these folks, time and time again, with my blog, and those posts I write for the express purpose of trying to make people think; to make people create an opinion of their own.  In doing so I accept the risk of unintentionally (or, maybe intentionally) opening the cage of those "perpetually offended."  

The "perpetually offended" are fairly easy to spot as they seem to totally miss the point of the post and go off on some tangent of their own making.  Moreover, they start out with an angry comment, fueled by their own anger as they write, and end their comment even more pissed off than they started.

Tolerance dictates that we hear them out, as we all have an opinion.  So, I let them have their moment in the sun.  I don't have to agree or accept what they say, to be peacefully tolerant. Nor do I have to grace them with recognition for all the reasons Mr. Huckabee so eloquently states, above.  What would it accomplish?  If they are reading this I'm sure they have already formed "their attack" based on Huckabee being a minister, a Christian, a conservative, etc., etc., etc.  The point that we should all just try to get along, and stop finding reasons to be perpetually offended, will escape them, and that is just sad.

That we have a label for them is also a sad reflection on society.  Sadder is that offended people find the need to always find a reason, need a reason, any reason, to attack.  We tend to label those who keep throwing themselves into the limelight. Especially if they constantly need to get right up in our collective grill.  They become, for better or worse, an "annoying joke" we find ourselves having to tolerate.  I have fallen victim to labeling them, as I have in this post.  I have succumbed to the tirade of bullshit in an "attempt to accommodate them" and, in doing so, created for myself "a never-ending retreat on the part of common sense and a surrender to irrational demands." 

In the Bible, Proverbs 29:11 says, "A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them."  My dad used to tell me, "The man who controls his voice controls the argument."  It amounts to the same advice.  

My uncle would say, "Don't get into a braying contest with a jackass."  All three statements are chock full of great advice.  In my blog, I tend to go with my uncle's advice because, since I'm not face to face with the protagonist, they can't see the control I would be exhibiting for everyone else's benefit, even though this control would be totally lost on them.  I opt to ignore them as best I can, knowing that there is nothing I can say, no cogent argument, that would satisfy them.  Should I try agreeing with them?  The perpetually offended would find some reason why this would also be unacceptable.  Anything we do would be pouring water on a fire that feeds on water.  Why fuel a fire you can't put out?  Why buy into their misery?

I hate to think that I never get "shed" of these people, to have a "brighter day." Sometimes, getting rid of them makes good sense.  I mean, really, why get into a "braying contest with a jackass" just so you both sound like jackasses to those listening?  Someone has to take the high road and sometimes that requires ignoring an argument for argument's sake.  Being tolerant of other opinions is a tough row to hoe.  The "perpetually offended" would have you believe you are at fault for not being respectful of their opinion. You are simply refusing to buy into the fight they're looking for.  The trick is to not take anything too personally or you'll find yourself in the same pit the "offended" wallow in.  You'll feel offended for the rest of your life... perpetually.

Nobody is responsible for your happiness.  Only you can be responsible for you.  The best tact for people to take with the "perpetually offended" is to ignore them.  Sooner or later they will go away when they discover there is no fun in being ignored.  The downside is they will find another target for their insatiable appetite. Certainly, we cannot allow them to win frivolous, self-serving, lawsuits that only benefit their questionable agendas.  

It might bode the question, are "perpetually offended" people sociopaths?  Well, by definition, a sociopath is defined as someone who is suffering from Antisocial Personality Disorder. Sociopaths show a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights and feelings of others.  Gee, then if we, the majority, disregard the rights and feelings of sociopaths, doesn't it then follow that we, ourselves, are sociopathic?  One of the bright spots of being in "the majority" as opposed to "perpetually offended" is that the majority gets to make the rules and definitions, while the perpetually offended, by choice, just go on being miserably offended.

Personally, I try to be tolerant of all "intelligent" opinions. It allows us to reach a middle ground where everyone can be somewhat satisfied.  For instance, I think gays should have the right to marry, but that right must be voted on nationally and made a federal mandate or gays will never have what they want.  The problem arises when the majority is constantly beaten over the head with the issue of gay marriage.  This gay behavior just pisses off straights and hurts the gay cause.  This behavior is fodder for the "perpetually offended."  They know what they're going to do, pro or con, and it's going to be controversial and piss people off, but they just don't care.  It is all about them, the perpetually offended, and what they want.  The rights and feelings of anybody else are immaterial.  This is where the majority and the "League" part company.

 As a nation, we pride ourselves on the personal right to pursue happiness.  All we ask is this "pursuit" does not affect the rights of others in pursuing their own happiness.  To that end, we have a system of "rules and laws."  When dissatisfaction with those "rules and laws" starts to negatively affect the "majority," and when the people voicing this dissatisfaction do so with total disregard for the majority rule of law, over and over again, you may very well be looking at the "League of the Perpetually Dissatisfied."

In fact, some people actively go out of their way to sniff out opportunities to take offense. They willingly expose themselves to the very thing that enrages and antagonizes them, just so they can enjoy that warm feeling of self-righteous indignation, that special glow you only get when your most deeply held prejudices are confirmed.

-- Fionola Meredith

Because of the "League of the Perpetually Offended" we are slowly losing holidays that celebrate who we are; Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, and Christmas are all under constant attack, along with symbols of our diverse faiths and spirituality.  Where does it all end? And when did a country, ruled by the majority, decide it was okay to fold in the court of law at the whim of a few whiners, time and time again?  If a law is bad, change it.  If it isn't, you've had your day in court.  Let it go so we can all get back to living life and not wasting money on frivolous court cases.  Money that is better spent on the hungry and the homeless.  Better yet, get a life that will stop you from destroying everyone else's.

People need a hobby, but that hobby should not offend people or infringe on their legal rights. If you feel you don't have the same rights, convince the majority and change the law, don't just constantly go out of your way to piss people off, as this attitude does not help your cause. All good things come with time, but perpetual offense does nothing to forward a cause.  It makes one look like a selfish, self-serving, idiot with little regard for society - a societal joke. Or, maybe, a sociopath? How fine is the line of separation? I wonder.

We should ignore the perpetually offended. Maybe it's time like the governor says, to "simply laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all and refuse to be cowered into a catalog of words that will placate the whining class."

My only wish is that my post doesn't offend anyone.  The sad truth is that it probably will.  How absurd is that?  

It is a matter of opinion.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com