Can we avoid being offended?

This is a tricky subject and writing about it is immediately fraught with the danger that it will offend some people.

My intention here is to open up possibilities to question what we think about this subject. 

Whilst we might find a statement or action offensive it is us who decides whether to be offended.

Surely if we allow others to influence us so greatly as to make us;

....Angry

....Sad

....Hateful 

....Resentful

Make us anything 

.......are we not giving up our freedom to choose what we allow to enter our minds, caging ourselves and entering into a life of slavery?

Are we not giving up free will when we voluntarily choose to be offended?

The combination of the country, our parents, our environment and experiences mould our perceptions. 

Is it not our choice whether we are open-minded enough to allow ourselves or others to question these perceptions?

No one can cage our minds unless we allow it. We are responsible whether we separate a statement or action from the person. 

Who decides what is offensive and what is not? 

We do 

.....yet logically are we not all just somewhere on a spectrum and in different situations can we not all be perceived as being offensive or not?

To be offended or not be offended is the question. Choosing to not be offended does not mean we agree with a statement or action. 

What if we choose to freely challenge perceptions, be challenged and enter a world of fun and debate about subjects rather than judging each other for the statements we make? 

Wonderful - yet not reality. 

Can we expect the world to perceive as we do? 

No!

There are as many opinions as there are people, so protect your freedom to choose who and what affects you. 

Written by David Sammel