PC is good
PC is necessary for a better, inclusive society.
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It is a good thing, but it should have limits. There are words with negative, truly offensive connotations that should not be written or spoken as they may hurt people. But words that have inherently neutral connotation should not be considered politically “incorrect”. But all in all, PC is a good thing.
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Not using "words with negative, truly offensive connotations" means simple politeness.. Political correctness is something much bigger than politeness. PC is used to control the language and narrative by people willing to impose authoritarian views on society.
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Hello Antonio
That is quite a statement that you gave! Short and sharp, as I dare say...;)
I had to think about it for a while before I wrote this reply.
Some of the attitudes and behavior rules I find bothersome and annoying too, sometimes. So I fully agree with you on that.
Let me give you some examples:
Not using words like black people anymore and take colored instead is fine by me. The times when many Africans were forced into slavery should not be forgotten and we should treat them equally, that is clear to me. We are all wired to check out people we meet in a matter of milliseconds – so let us start by getting used to that short moment of irritation when someone’s skin looks not the same as ours. I use every opportunity like when I take a train or spot someone walking by and so I always try not to look away but give a pleasing smile whenever I canJ.
Another issue that is all over the news and social media nowadays:
We should address males and females equally more often in writing or speaking. For instance, we should rather say actor/actress or husband/wife and so on.
But what about terms like a teacher, politician, pilot, nurse, and so on? Are there any good other options to express that men and women alike do this kind of job?
All sorts of PC rules to follow come from the new understanding in terms of sexual orientation - the LGBT community strongly point that out whenever they have a chance and that is understandable in my view and high time when you look back on history.
But how could we address this issue when talking about beliefs and God? There is no Goddess in Christianity, right?
A real disadvantage would be when people who are very much into PC would stop talking to people that do not find PC the most important problem on our planet right now. What sort of TV debates would we have then? Who would still be ready to take part and who wouldn't?
Politeness is all good and well, of course, and just common sense - including that we should not discriminate the female sex anymore like we did for thousands of years. Look at the economy! I guess we cannot afford anymore, not to fully include women in the job markets in the long run. This transition has started long ago and it will get even more important in the future.
But if the public refuses to accept that there are still some valuable differences between sexes, for instance, that women give birth and men don't, and that there is evidence that not only our bodies differ outside and inside too but also our brains work in a slightly different way and, on top of that, what society has to do with all our different attitudes, tendencies, preferences and the like then it gets quite complicated in my view. So we should keep all that in mind when talking about PC.
People who insist on strict rules and declare it to be the most important topic get into quarrels that lead to nothing, in my view but make good debates tiresome and the common ground smaller and smaller...
When push comes to shove then we stop talking to each other and that would be the worst scenario I can think of.
But I would not go so far as you and say that it has something to do with an authoritarian attitude.
-> Could you explain your point a bit more in detail, with a few examples, maybe?
I am looking forward to your message:)Urs
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Hello Antonio
Let me thank you for your reply in such excellent English, that's amazing, indeed, Antonio!
You appear to know what you are writing about first hand - so I'm wondering what personal experiences you have made so far? Were you in danger of being fired in your career...?;)
No, I'm joking, of course!
When asked whether politics or ethics is an issue in my field of work and in my country then I tend to hesitate a bit.
The fact that in most architecture cabinets half of the employees are female leads to that question I am concerned the most about - how to deal best when men and women are working together.
I am not a pro, you could say when it comes to that and had some fairly good and a few not so good experiences.
One fact that makes it a bit complicated: most project managers are male... this might have something to do with the requirement that you "should be around and available" for 5 days (and sometimes nights) in this job - or so they say...;) So it is quite likely that I am in the position of being "the boss" and this can lead to competition and mixed feelings with female architects - but I have made some progress over the years by experience, of course. And sometimes it is good to joke about it over a beer with your colleagues...;)
Because we have not that big architecture companies here in Switzerland except for a few shooting stars like Herzog & De Meuron, I probably don't have to deal with an "organization" and management that sets "rules" for hundreds of employees like you, I guess?
As for right-wing and left-wing discussions and tendencies in the offices that I have worked until now:
very seldom politics and such is an issue.
I would not go so far as that such topics are avoided in coffee breaks and so on, but all in all it does not have an impact on your job and daily routines and should certainly not affect your own work. If it does then something is wrong!
I guess you know this saying:
In case you would like to get into an argument, trouble, or even a fight then start talking about politics or religion.
So we are a bit cautious about such issues in Switzerland, even among friends and in families.
Of course, this is different in certain pubs! No problem, as long as you have a choice...;)
For instance I had guys working for me who were very clearly fare right-wing-oriented - but I sort of held these two things apart: my employee's political views and the quality of his or her work!
But I recall one situation when I and others with more liberal views had to keep strictly mum when they reported on the news one fine morning that a national right-wing counselor had not been reelected by the parliament - which grew into a political scandal and had an impact on politics for the years to follow....
On such occasions, you suddenly realize and get a clearer picture of the political preferences of your colleagues and bosses alike...;)I fully agree with you: we should not go too far with restrictions or implicit regulations when it comes down to what one can say or joke about at your working place and in your private life.
On top of that I am far from black and white oppinions and I always listen to what everyone has to say instead of focussing on one view or channel or whatever.
Life in general, politics in particular, and many other aspects of our societies would suffer could we not see the points and reasons other people have on different subjects.
Almost always everyone has a point. And your attitudes and values vary greatly based on what position, income, social status, or even preferences in partnerships you have.
A good solution to go forward in our societies and economies so to get things done needs always support from many sides. Therefore it is almost always some sort of compromise, balance, or agreement - whatever you would like to call it. As soon as all sides complain a bit about it then you can be quite sure that you have reached a fairly fair solution.
Take wages:
Your best business plan will not work out when you cannot find anyone who works for you for the salary you offer. And they won't if they earn less than he or she needs to survive... at least this is true in theory;)
Or take education:
The states and businesses should always keep in mind that education is beneficial for everyone in the long run, so it should be available and of good quality for many and not only for a few. Side effects of not investing in a good education and other issues tend to get expensive too - but most probably in the future which makes it so difficult to adress, right?
Those are just two simple examples - I know.
It would be great to have a chat about these too!
What we suffer more than ever in my view today is a severe polarization in both politics and public opinion in too many countries which is tragic.
And this leads to bubbles and misinformation, I am afraid...
That makes it very hard to discuss matters whatever they may be!
Is there a cure for it?
Do you know what could help?
On top of that we should train ourselves to have better conversations with people who do not agree with our own views!
I did just that two days ago again - it was about what should or should not be done in terms of the Corona Virus and the vaccinations. That was interesting, indeed!
That way you get to know what people think by listening to their arguments for or against it!
I always like to comment on smaller points making a funny remark or joke when replying to an argument that is lop-sided in my view.
But I always respect valuable information or different views on the matter - far from doctrines and such. This helps a lot to find some common ground!
I guess there should be not one group or one part of society who should decide what is right or wrong - we all should take part in discussions about society, work, life in general and keep in mind that some things are changing at a very fast pace - but other's should not or do not because they are part of our human DNA, behaviour, social life and wellbeing and made humanity who we are and this goes back thousands and thousands of years! It is very interesting what science has to say on the matter nowadays...!Stand up against too narrow-minded narratives is in need nowadays too, that is for sure!
Quarreling about details is much too often a path that leads us astray and prevents us from addressing the main questions and issues and real things and prevents us from finding better solutions that work on a larger scale, in my view.
Sometimes I get the impression that whoever has no clue about specific matters tries to hide behind such cheap arguments so as not to get caught and exposed on the media and in public discussions…;););)
And those who dare to get into details or have a distinct view on a matter due to their own experience are blamed for whatever they say! That is a real pity!
People who still dare to stand out in public and do not share main stream oppinions have become a rare species, unfortunately...:(
Have a nice day now!
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P.s:
Antonio, could you tell me a bit more about your own experiences when it comes down to things "the public forbids" us nowadays to say anymore or even talk about?
I just watched a discussion on a German TV channel about the topic - and it is a matter we should discuss, indeed..!
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Hi Urs, thanks for your answer!
I totally agree that different sides of the political spectrum should talk and should strive to understand each other's biases.. And without dialogues it is not possible.
As for what we should do about this - I don't really know...People are tribal and they want to hear what they want and they join groups is social media and watch videos that confirm their biases. And nowadays 99% of what people watch, read and listen is through online platforms. Perhaps, it takes massive reforms in the tech industry that will help reinvent the algorithms that suggest content to users. Or probably governments should step in somehow and start regulating tech companies treating them as utilities companies whose content belongs to public.
As for examples that limit other viewpoints : Youtube (which I watch often) sometimes demonizes videos of creators that Youtube thinks falls out of their political ideology
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