Offendees

* even when the person referred to doesn't see anything at all to take offence at.*

Says who though?

You cant speak on behalf of a group of people you neither know and who have got better things to do right at this moment in time.

You also cannot 100% vouch for someones' inner thoughts generally, either, when it comes to the person who may be doing the insulting.

So people have to do what they think is best. And watch out for other people to the best of their ability.

You cant conclude that no insult was meant and none taken, unless you are the one doing the possible insulting, and you know the people who may have been insulted.

It is of course lazy use of the English language. I am offended by something that is said to, or about,me. I find offensive any other remarks.

Exactly trisher, couldn't put it better

You put it succintly, trisher

You are exactly right Elegran, we can only feel offended by remarks to ourselves and not words or actions to others.The new cult of being offended
Is PC gone barmy.It seems to confer some kind of sainthood on those people who feel offended by this, that and the other, they are sensitive souls who 'feel' the pain of others.Totally ridiculous .

Wow

Feeling empathy is now being saintlike.
And a person who feels empathy is now sensitive.

And it is not hard to spot that those who think like this are very pro the conservative way of thinking.

It is opening my eyes I have to say.

I don't see the problem. The word was not used on the pedants thread but a discussion thread. Of course there are many ways to use it, e.g., I, personally, found the word offensive and I was also offended that the leader of my country, who acts on my behalf, used it when speaking for the country.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Other people have their opinions, you you, Soontobe just try and stir all the time, pathetic.

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

I apologise for pointing them in the direction of this thread.

But since this forum is so small, and your comments on this thread were highly relevant to what you were writing on the other one, I didnt think that it would matter.

Obviously it does to you, so I am sorry for doing that, and will try to remember not to do it again.

I post a great deal on this forum.
Whether people think I stir all the time well I think they need to look at all my posts each and every day.

I understand that you are annoyed though, and I once again apologise for pointing them to this thread and its comment.

The good mannered thing now is to accept the apology and close the door on a rather embarrassing and puerile spat

Sorry, but can't believe a word of anything you write Soontobe, so don't bother with any apologies.

Keep your nose out Whitewave, nothing to do with you.

Soon - I don't think you have anything to apologise for. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I will leave you to it.Enjoy.

Well done rose We can all now get back to adulthood.

Is it not for the moderators to decide what threads are acceptable ?

People's levels of tolerance differ and we all have things we find unacceptable. Personally I find most off-colour jokes offensive, but a limited use of 4 letter words is acceptable. Others differ I know. What I do about this is up to me. Sometimes if something is very offensive I do speak out, other times I will simply remove myself from the situation. It isn't a question of empathy simply of one's personal standards.

But the level of empathy is a standard. A huge great big one.

There is no need to get all aeriated about empathy. That is well-covered elsewhere.

This thread is under the "Pedants" umbrella, and is about the apparently changed "meaning" of "offended" from meaning "That definitely hurt ME!" to "There is a faint chance that it could have hurt SOMEONE who puts an unusual interpretation on it"

In what way is 'the level of empathy a standard'? And what do you mean by 'a huge great big one'.
I genuinely do not understand this post.