What do you think of the “political correct”? Don’t you think it’s gradually becoming a new type of prejudice in today’s society?
Love
Paulo
Is “political correct” correct?
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first we should understand the meaning of politics and politicians
POLITICS, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of
principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.
POLITICIAN, n. An eel in the fundamental mud upon which the
superstructure of organized society is reared. When we wriggles he
mistakes the agitation of his tail for the trembling of the edifice.
As compared with the statesman, he suffers the disadvantage of being
alive.
I think this one will help
Unresolved prejudices since Adam and Eve
- Religions
- Politics
- Sex
It is well done when you think about it.
…I wonder why?
Maybe we got it wrong – right?
Jane Austen
I heard an interview on the radio recently where a corrections employee (prison guard)was referring to regular law obiding citizens as “non convicted members of society” in order not to offend prisoners, convicts, or any other special group. I was offended at the label! But I did retain my sense of humour, as I felt I should interpret it that way. Unfortunately, and not so funny, is the paralysis it can cause in a political debate, discussion, or thoughts on important societal issues like homelessness, health care, abuse, etc. If we are too restricted to call it what it is, we can not be able to drive permanent long tem solutions. Leaders and politicians can not bring up sensitive issues without the risk of being labelled as having this view, or that, and risk alienating potentially half of the populace that voted them in to office. Politically correct seems to me to be able to talk for quite a while, and not say anything meaningful, so no one could possibly take issue with your ‘position’. You can’t make mud pies without getting a bit of dirt under your nails, and we have a lot of difficult swamps to forge through if we are going to be able to deal with the difficult issues facing society today. Especially if we can’t have a hands off full idea exchange dialogue. “All the men who hold high places must be the first to start, to forge a new reality closer to the heart”. I think Rush summs up nicely where it must begin.
yups, we are taught to be politically correct so that we dont end up being offensive. Such a fakeness but thats the behaviour which is being desired .
Personally I have seen fakeness works ….atleast initially.I hate to be fake but what choice do i have? I am yet to see otherwise.
hahahah… that’s politically correct?politics here in my country does not have the confidence of the people, well being politically correct here is being subjected to things like bureaucracy, aristocracy and oligarchy if none of these things are said then we are politically wrong. hahahaha.
I think its stupid… and fake….
Being politically correct has squashed the human desire to express ourselves. I, as a person, have been given the gift of ‘partiality’… I can have my opinion, or perception (for when I lack actual experience) but then I have to worry if expressing it is going to offend the guy sitting next me… I don’t think so… the fact that I have to think that far into my thoughts is what’s not politically correct…. The generation today is so caught up in ‘being nice’ they forgot their ability to think, and tactfully express their views. I think the bigger issues here are peoples inability to be nice, tactful, and respectful. We don’t know how to talk so we all decided to talk the same way… share the same judgments, and accept the same stuff…. It all stems from fear. People today are afraid to be themselves. They want more to be accepted by others then by themselves. I see a black person, I describe them as black… not African Canadian… what if they aren’t from Africa… they are black…. There shouldn’t have to be another way to say it…. Their skin is black… why is this offensive? People in wheelchairs, have a physical handicap… who made up the term handicap able…. We are too quick to be offended. Stick to the facts and speak clear…. Be nice, do not express your opinion when it has not been asked for, and respect your audience… but I don’t think that should be confused with, don’t say what you’re thinking because people will coin you as, rude, inconsiderate and uneducated…… I feel the term and rules for being politically correct were invented as another tactic to get people less engaged and to communicate less. What’s the first thing we do when we feel we cannot talk to our audience because we feel they will either not understand our message or challenge our thoughts… we retreat… I guess it’s working.
Once upon a time I liked “politically correct”, it seemed a way to say “express yourself but with respect for others.” Then, along the way, it turned into something different, and I don’t like it anymore…. To me now it means: pretty package, nasty concepts; let’s use it as a tool to hide our thoughts so that we can’t be judged or held responsible for our opinions. And the people that still want to express their opinions are nowadays “politically uncorrect” :(
well ,political correctness was not invented to be able to care about people or opinions ,far from it.Actually it created now a lot of passive agressive ,two faced bullies.If I can not experess myself then how can i show to others what realyy is happening around us?.I am meeting a lot of people attacking other because they dont use the alnguage of polital correctness and these who pretend like political correct or grow up that way ,they are the ones generallly so isolated from different thought then theirs or cant stand different people at all.
politically correct….sometimes, it helps, sometimes, it causes a lot of pain, to others and to us….
I think that ‘political correctness’ creates a lot of stress and makes communicating truth more difficult.
Thank you Paulo, Much Love to All, Jane : ) xo
This term has given many people a more exceptable excuse for prejudice towards each other…
the term “politically correct” seems superficial. for me, it’s just trying to euphemize an insult or generally something offensive or negative.
“political correct” is like the powerfull symbol of alchemy where a snake forms a perfect circle , eating its own tail…. it keeps on changing….reviving new views from its past……if somebody says that HITLER wasnt political correct …i would say no, he was political correct so is mahathma gandhi….what would have happened if gandhi had met hitler , and they had a discussion about their political correctness….well we can only wonder …..but as paulo says the political correctness is a prejudice in the society but not a new one….its an old one ..as old as the humans who started organising a group of people into an organisation or setup……there is nothing correct in it nor anything wrong…
My mother works in a nursery, and for the nursery ryme “baa baa black sheep” she must sing “baa baa rainbow sheep”
how ridiculous !!!
its being so careful of were to tread when saying the word black, that it is racist in its own way. If you try and cover something up, then it just makes it worse. what if someone had tried to cover up the holocaust. Wait! someone did try to cover up the holocaust, but it failed. In fact, here, we are not allowed to ask for a black coffee, we have to say coffee with no milk. I think it is a chain of reverse-racism.
When i was a child my parents were the ones who tought me what is correct and whats not, I learned the difference between Good and bad, and i knew the consequences of my acts, what would happen if?…I guess we´ve all had the chance to decide which path to choose along the road. But, Do you think that following paths others have set before you, will make you part or participate in the process of development in your community, country, or even your personal and spiritual growth…
Paulo, Your daily message has a story about a path “How the path was made” on date FEB/06. and i totally agree that we “citizens” often follow rules, directions, traditions, and the same pattern of speech. We got used to that, and we fear to speak our minds, we fear we will not “Fit” in society if we dont follow whats set as trends. and so our world centers in discussions that go far away from REALITY. The same superficial speech that talks about everything but says nothing at all. (am not against politics, i love politics, and i enjoy politics…)
Its not about how our cultures differ, or sex, locations, language, religion, orientations etc… it might not even be about whats PC or PI, its about a world that lacks leaders who are not afraid to take risks, its about a world that each day registers more and more families living under conditions of Poverty, its about how many are getting infected, or are HIV positive, its about how many of our children are going to school, and how many cant !, its about how our economy is in risk because of our dependance on oil, its the mafias that are controlling our countries, its about freedom and the fact that we are not free at all, its about media -ours newspapers- Its about silence… and Its Us, we search for OUR happiness, we are selfish, we persue our own stability, and personal interests.
then, Is there such thing as PC ??
If you dont agree in certain things that doesnt make you a rebel. I dont think that Paulo for saying he pirates his own books is a rebel, and was it correct or incorrect for him to say it or to do it!? With all the strong campaign against piracy, and pirates jajaja, now id like to know what other writers think about what Paulo is teaching. He made things clear he´s choosing his own path. And I think it was great from him 2 say it. We, as his readers think thats cool and are thankful, but what about all those who depend on a book they are selling and those who are against piracy? Did you stop and think about that Paulo, before you created your blog and “the pirate coelho”? Would their opinion stop you from creating both!?!… You are creating this new path, i believe some will learn from you and others will judge you, the same way each one must create his own path not concerning on whats politically correct (judgement, critics) but of course taking each step at a time, and not forgetting what is it that you are fighting for.
BLessings.
In my mind, the notion of “political correct” is a framework on which society is based upon. It is a set of rules that people living in this society are meant to follow. These rules do not need to be written up but everyone is aware of them. Moreover, what is “politically correct” changes from country to country.
This question made me reflect upon what is “politically correct” and what is not. At first I wondered if it was a good thing or not.
It can be a way to compromise.
However it can restrain individual freedom of thought and of actions. In that sense it can be seen as a type of prejudice in today’s society.
Leaf, I’m so sorry for not knowing! Since that was my first experience reading and posting here, I hope you will forgive me. I once knew a young man by that name…I also knew a different boy with the name of Brook.
Nanci
Baily..
i must agree you should stick around a bit.. Maybe you’ll find some answers. But don’t worry so much dear, really! The thing about the alchemist, is that it is a type of book that one needs to read in the right time, and i’ve noticed with some people, they either love it completely, or just disregard it. Because you are in school, and you have to read it, it hasn’t just come and changed your life like it has the rest of us here. Take one step at a time, and don’t worry if you’re not sure what you believe in yet- i’ll let you in on a secret, most adults even with religions aren’t sure of what they believe in. The most you can do dear, is love everything and anything, be good, and do things that make you happy and a better person. I know how difficult school can be, so if you ever need any help with essays or anythin, just come here and ask. Its abundantly clear, there are many people that will help you, including me, at any point. Smile little one, things have a way of working things out, just don’t worry too much about it :)
Lots of love
Yajna
Hi friends.. You guys are great! Just wanted to let you know the link to the achieves of the question of the week, actually takes you to the news. It seems to be a technical error.. Maybe you can get it fixed, it would appreciated.
Thank you
Yajna
The problem with PC is typically in its enforcement. As has been stated here, there needs to be a level of kindness and respect in society and speach. But there is a difference between regulating how something is said, and what is said.
Often in my country we regulate what is said, not as much how it is said. That is not how PC should work. We need to be able to challenge the establishment, challenge the way things are done and they way society conducts itself. This should be done in a respectfull manner that brings about progress and encourges people to exam society, and not in a way that just insites anger from others.
I think if you look at history, and then look at the most influencial people who truely altered the course of every generation that followed them they accomplished both. They spoke out against establishment and still did it in a respectfull way. I doubt most of them were considered “PC” for the language of that time.
I do not think Jesus was considered PC, or Martin Luther King Jr. Both spoke out against the norms of society at that time. Both challenged everyone to look at the way they are doing things, the way they live their lives and encouraged them to change for the better. But they also did it typically in a very respectfull manner, without demeaning the very people they were asking to change.
But often people who speak the same way are considered not PC because they challenge the establishment, and typically the establishment does not like that. Again, being PC needs to be about how you say something, not what you said.
Yes, I believe it causes prejudice and resentment. Since all this political correctness came into effect, I believe that our very own culture is at risk. We are told that we can no longer follow some of our long-held traditions in case it offends those of a different culture who have chosen to live here. Why is our own culture seen as the lessor? I find myself feeling resentment to another culture for the first time ever because, if we were to live in their country, we would be expected to accept their culture. I am all for different cultures living happily together in one place, without judgement and at peace. PC was okay to begin with but it seems to have taken things to the extreme in recent years and this is causing prejudice in people who never felt it before. That can’t be a good thing.
the term Politically Correct is just a way of limiting our freedom. It’s politically incorrect to question the status quo. It’s put into play by those who want gentle sheep to herd in whatever direction they desire. That’s why subjects like the truth behind the 9/11 attacks, the holocaust, and vote fraud in the US are taboo/politically incorrect (at least in the US).
Bailey,
I gather that there is more hope for the one who claims not to understand, than for the one who claims to understand.
It is evident that the mind of the former is open and that he has started to analyze the universe – the glorious and terrible path to Reason!
Search everywhere and dissect everything you find. Assume that all is false, and try to place it in its proper order, to your own growing understanding. There will be errors, but you will learn from your errors and find the courage to start all over, again and again.
Listen to the voice of Love, without haggling, and it is inevitable that you will attain!
Those who really made a difference were never politically correct in the paradigm that they changed.
Always try to see the other side of everything – because there is always another side.
Dear Bailey,
Remember one thing – you don’t have to understand anything, just live through it, enjoy the story.
Did you?
If so, the rest will come in time, your time.
Visualize, and see through the eyes of this boy.
Do not force yourself to feel anything, just enjoy.
Think about it like it was the fairy tale your grandmother tells you.
Take your time.
Hope is always there, you just don’t feel it at this moment, that’s all.
Nobody knows all the answers in the world, it’s not possible.
Living your life, feeling it, appreciating every moment, only then everything makes sense.
The light will come, it always does.
You’ll see.
:-)
love
Agnieszka
Hi, Nanci, I’m SHE
that reminds me – Hi Aditya,I thought you were She too, till the other day, sorry
Bailey
welcome
stick around and find some answers to your questions – it could be said you are listening to your heart for it lead you here……what you are doing is called ‘soul searching’, you have set off on your journey, to find in life what means something for you ….but if you only want to write an essay, then be brave, say ‘Don’t know’ and take an F
Having no religion is fine
probably easier than to start unlearning one like some of us here have/did.
LOVE
Yes, I believe that political correctness is a new kind of prejudice. It is the kind of prejudice that screams “Racist!” if someone is of the opinion that someone from another country is different, or that wants to change or forbid old writings because the language in them is not deemed politically correct today.
If I say someone is different I do so without judgement, based on the fact that I do not recognise their culture as my own, or they have a different religion, a different language, or perhaps their skin colour does not look like mine. Different is not good or bad, it’s just…different. But in my country today, saying someone is different is not politically correct. It is not politically correct to be proud of my own country either, or to include any religius element in celebrations, because someone from another country or another religion might take offense.
And the trouble is that as some words or actions become politically incorrect, the new words or actions that are supposed to replace them slowly take over both their positive and their negative connotations, and eventually need to be replaced by new, politically correct, words and actions.
Political correctness is to restrict the language and actions of a group of people because someone, who’s allowed to decide, thinks there might be a risk that someone else might possibly take offense.
Dear Bailey,
Please dont despair… I wish I have more nice things to say but I guess it just takes time. Maybe reading The Alchemist 3x dont help you much this time. but give yourself sometime… You do understand the world around you without you realising it. If it’s so hard looking what is hidden than look at the surface. Look at what’s around you. There are always beautiful things, things that makes you happy. I am sure you know one thing that makes you happy right?
I agree with some other posters here (in particular Sibila Maria, Nancy and TC).
PC seems to be a matter of subjective definition. I believe that the original idea itself has its uses, like a reminder for us to be more considerate in communication with/about others. I like to compare it with etiquette and manners.
However PC appears to be used often without thought, to simply conform, or even to disguise ones true intentions; or it might be used as a restrictive weapon against those who wish to express themselves more freely.
Thus I see PC like a crutch, with limited use, while “mindfulness of communication” sounds more substantial. Being honest(!) and considerate, listening, taking responsibility … it involves more than just words!
Was the word that Leaf was looking for in his response “oxymoron”?
I think that being politically correct in some situations is in and of itself an oxymoron because when one tries to be “politically correct” one finds how difficult it may be, especially when terminology that is not allowed to be spoken by one group because it is not politically correct is claimed and used by another…again, it goes back to the question someone else has stated above: Who decides?
Dear Paulo,
I apologize that this does not relate to the topic. I am confused. In class I was assigned to read your book The Alchemist. Many people loved it. I didn’t understand it. I am different. I have no religion. I don’t understand how the universe could conspire to help you, it seems impossible. I don’t understand what or who the hand that writes all really is. I don’t know what my Personal Legend is. I don’t know how to listen to my heart. I read the book three times. I just don’t understand life. At all. Is there any hope for me?
like everything it depends.
personally i think it helps a lot of people think about how what they say affects the other person.
but, like so many things it also supports people’s laziness. helping them just go along with the socially acceptable “politically correct” perspective, rather than being brave enough to establish their own wisdom.
If people put their heart in the words that they say, and knew how important it is to look after each other than political correctness would not be needed.
Being political correct gives people something to think about and a nice outward appearance.
Politically Correct? My thoughts : Allowing oneself to make a comment that is acceptable to the general community while at the same time provoke further thinking and encourage more supposedly “politically correct” responses.
a politician.
difficult – as you stay within the borders of this “correctness” you don’t get enough of attention from media, and if you step outside of it you are marked as too provocative and your message gets drowned in idiotic citations of the same media…
I’m happy I’m not
Political correct is nowdays to be political incorrect.
such a shame!
and a waste of time and energy.
Pride and prejudice.
Love
Damien
“Politically correct” means nothing, as nearly the whole governing politic is not.
There’s a grammatical term which I cannot remember, for two words which just do not go well/work/make sense side by side….
and ‘political’ and ‘correct’ are two such words!!
I think PC may have paved the way to some small success in anti-racism or something – but not much really
and as was said here already – people should be kind/polite etc out of their own decency/heart, not because it is lawful whatever.
I see also that PC and all the bizarre extremes it has been taken to brings focus far too much on the negative aspect of humanity’s differences, instead of looking for similarities and embracing the differences at the same time.
And since when did anyone conform to what they’re told to say or do??
It’s only a matter of time before a whole generation will rebel
and then what?
yes
they’ll have all the possible prejudices listed under the heading PC and not PC
and it’ll be worse than ever
xxxx
I see Political Correctness as an easy way for people to connect to a community. It’s neither good or bad. It just is. A point of view someone else has offered that allows you to fit in without thinking too hard or doing too much work. There’s never anything to defend or challenge so it’s safe.
I’m not so sure it’s any more or less prejudicial than any other point of view. I suppose you would have to decide if people who have an opinion that they hadn’t put much or any thought into are any more discriminating or oppressive than people who have thought their point of view out carefully.
I don’t think so.
I think that the term “political correct” depends very much on who is using it. With what kind of motive. And also in what culture it is used. What is seen as correct in one society might be very much incorrect in another. And often I find the term is used to judge someone or someone´s behavior. I find that judging has to do with prejudice – neither see the full whole picture, only a part of it.
I uphold political sensitivity more than correctness. The former embraces and respects diversity … which the world needs badly to make it a less antagonistic place.
being politically correct almost sound as if incorrect but within the acceptable limits of political behavior.
it’s better than being ‘incorrect’ and worse than being simple ‘correct’ — well so i feel.
Most of the politiciens are acting for their
own profit and not in funtion of the advantage
of the people.
They misabuse their powers.Perhaps is this a reflection of the excisting community.
I am a bit surprised at the way you word your question. Saying “Don’t you think..” tends to lead the reader in a particular direction.
Anyways, political correctness often serves as a reason for people to behave kindly towards each other. Of course, ideally we would all be kind without an external system of rules telling us how to behave. However, I’d prefer to have someone treat their fellows with respect out of political correctness rather than with disrespect otherwise. Perhaps P.C. behavior is a crutch that masks the true problem, but I’m afraid that we still need the crutch.
I think its over the top. Who decides what is politically correct and what is not?
I believe in having respect for all people but I don’t want to be silenced.
Kathleen xx
This term has given many people a more exceptable excuse for prejudice towards each other…
We water down our passions, afraid of non-conformity. Only children say what they feel, and mean what they say.
Dear Paulo,
I live in Germany and I have the feeling, that we are in need of ethics.
There are a lot of discussions about Islam versus Christianity and some people try to profit from ignorance and agitate with simplified views.
We need a climate of understanding that will allow us to live peacefully on this wonderful earth and a political correct attitude may contribute a basis for mutual understanding.
Dear Paulo,
There’s something peculiar about this – “politically correct” statement – that gives me chills.
It’s so… artificial, so… not “human”, if you can say that.
For me it’s just another excuse when you say it,
to be on the “safe side”.
love
Agnieszka
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