I attempt to be as respectful as I can. There are words that are clearly meant to antagonize, belittle, and demean other individuals, they are used in a hatred manner towards other people. That does NOT mean that those who use them are bigots, context is always important (just as a person who kills someone is not always a murderer, there are circumstances in which that is correct but it is not always correct).

However, each and every day we have people writing blogs about how they’re offended about the most mundane nonsensical things, simply because they made an attempt to read between the lines, took something out of context, or created the narrative on their own. This is the PC culture that most rail against.

I grew up using the word “fag” (and most other variations), but almost never in its derogatory form. Words evolve through time, this was one of them, and in my era it simply meant “idiot” or something of that nature. Now, yes, I do realize now that it means idiot because there is an association that if you’re gay you are stupid or abnormal etc etc. I get that, but that isn’t taught, it’s wasn’t evident at a young age.

I try to avoid these words. They don’t hold true value. However, they also are NOT inherently “bad”. They are just words, to be offended or hurt by them is to show your own inherent weakness. No matter what a person says to you it cannot harm you if you do not allow it do so. You are the one assigning a specific emotion and value to the word thrown your way — if you learn to eliminate attaching emotions to words you render them powerless. That is true power.

It is easier said than done, I’m a straight white male — i.e. very privileged. But I’m not totally out of the clear, I have Bipolar Disorder and an introvert with anxiety, people discriminate against some of my characteristics without knowing or meaning to. It makes life more difficult than it should be for me. I expect no sympathy, nor do I want it (because it won’t matter), the point is I have to attempt to employ this as well. People stigmatize social disorders and mental health all the time, they demean it, they make jokes. So while not to the degree of a black gay woman (for example), it is still there and it still feels like I’m alone in a world of 7 billion, but you learn that it doesn’t matter.

Even though you may feel this is a straight white male ordeal — it was actually Buddhism and Daoism that helped me understand these concepts better. I used to rail against the PC culture all the time, it still baffles me that people are sitting around upset about random words, sentences, and thoughts of other people, but now I see it from a different angle. It’s about taking ownership and control of your own emotions and not allowing other people, and their words and actions, control your emotions. Care what others think and you will forever be their slave, that can be said for caring what others say and do as well.