Argumentative Penguin
1 min readSep 24, 2023

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That's quite all right - you're allowed (and encouraged) to get yourself fired up about such things. I think the onus on how to handle language lands with the receiver rather than the transmitter.

Here's a great article by Steve QJ which is about the power GRANTED to words - it's one of my favourite things to come out of Medium. https://level.medium.com/this-is-the-way-the-n-word-dies-ab51167bf9d0

The reaction to a word is what becomes normalised, the word itself is merely an exhalation of air, or squiggles on a computer screen. For that reason (as invited) you can use whatever words you like when talking about me. I choose whether I grant those words power or not and either being offended or pretending to be offended grants such words power the hostile party doesn't deserve.

It is my diligence to attending to my thoughts around language which allows society to function and will slowly strangle those words out of usage. Steve QJ is onto something here - and far too much time online is spent in the realm of weaponised offence. Winning language games whilst losing language grand-strategy.

The block button should be used by those people prone to giving the power to other people's words. What should not be given is complete endorsement on the control of free-speech (no matter how unpleasant) - because it sets a precedent and a slippery slope to 'whatever is unacceptable' with 'whatever' being a moveable feast. :o)

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Argumentative Penguin
Argumentative Penguin

Written by Argumentative Penguin

Playwright. Screenwriter. Penguin. Fan of rationalism and polite discourse. Find me causing chaos in the comments. Contact: argumentativepenguin@outlook.com

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