Seeking offense is a topic that has been really weighing on me of late. How often are we going out seeking to be offended? Looking for a reason to jump on our favorite high horse? I suspect it’s a little too often.
Recently, I learned of a prominent LDS blogger who wrote a blog piece on the movie Frozen. (If you haven’t seen Frozen yet, you really need to do so.) I was quite surprised to read her opinion of the themes in the movie. In this post, I don’t really want to discuss her opinion. That’s not what this post is about. What I want to do is talk about what I think the author was doing in that post, seeking offense.
If we look hard enough at everything that happens to us, or around us, every day, I suspect it would be very easy to be offended every single day. We could walk around in a perpetual state of anger. To be honest, there is plenty happening in this world about which we can be legitimately angry. Given that, why do we need to go around looking for additional offense? Adding hidden meaning in everything we see, hear or read in order to find additional righteous indignation or at least what we feel is righteous indignation.
Are we really creating a better world by seeking offensive meaning when none really existed? I don’t think we are creating a better world. Really, we might be creating a world we don’t really like at all. Let’s stop seeking offense and hidden meaning where none is intended. I think we can start creating a better world when we stop going out seeking offense.
Blimey!!! I actually went straight to the blog you linked and wished I hadn’t!!! I now agree with you, and offense she caused. Unlike yourself. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for stopping by Jackie! I’m glad you liked the post.
Great points Cindy. Unfortunately it seems far too common for people to seek offence that was never intended these days. It is becoming the accepted norm. I’m not suggesting we all walk around with rose coloured glasses, but if we were more inclined to give each other the benefit of the doubt I think we’d get a lot further.
I totally agree, Allan. Thanks for your comments!
I never thought about it but you are so right … a lot of people seem to seek offense and share their righteous indignation with anyone who will listen. And, for me at least, it is very discouraging. While I agree that we can’t walk around with rose-colored glasses, we could train ourselves to find the good and positive in life … and share that instead of the offenses we imagine … or even realize. The thing about seeking offense is that it turns us into such victims. That’s not a place that I want to be.
I think training ourselves to see the good and positive in life is such a great idea! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.