There are two kinds of people in this world - those who take offence and those who don't.
Some people, it seems, can be offended by almost everything. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "You realise your last comment was inherently racist, don't you?" "How dare the Government spend my taxes on that!" These people go around finding fault in everything, and then assuming it was all deliberately aimed at them. "Why don't you look where you're going?" "I have never been so insulted..." "Turn that bloody music off!"
Sometimes taking offence is about justice. Offended people often feel personally wronged by the slightest incident, and then insist on expressing their opinions and delivering a damning verdict. "You know you're not allowed to put your feet on the seat, don't you?" "How dare you travel by plane, you're killing the planet." "It's barbaric, and it deserves the death penalty!" A lot of tabloid journalists (and tedious bloggers) function at this level, without ever putting forward a positive idea of their own. They devote their output to wagging an accusatory finger and pandering to petty prejudices. "Britney's night of shame!" "Sign our anti-paedo petition now!" "Hanging's too good for them!"
Sometimes taking offence is about self-righteousness. Offended people often imagine they lead nigh-perfect lives, and then abuse anybody else who doesn't measure up to their high standards. "Don't be so bloody patronising!" "I can't believe anyone disagrees with my views on Iraq." "Tell the chef I'm never eating here again!" A lot of politicians (and political commentators) function at this level, especially when in opposition. They spend their lives taking offence on ideological grounds and picking holes in others' activities, without ever stopping to reflect on their own inadequacies. "How can anybody believe that?" "But we've caught you doing something that's against parliamentary rules!" "Resign, resign!"
I'm not somebody who takes offence. If a passer-by steps on my toe in the street, I don't assume they did it deliberately. If a colleague takes the mickey out of me at work, I don't punch them in the mouth. If somebody ignores me at a party, I don't go off and sulk in the corner. If I'm speaking with incompetent call centre staff over the phone, I don't yell back at them. If somebody writes what I believe to be an ideologically unsound blogpost, I don't waste my time ranting at length in their comments box. If somebody drops a chocolate wrapper on my doorstep, I don't stab them to death. I believe in tolerance and giving people the benefit of the doubt. And my life is much happier as a result.
I'm not alone. There are a lot of us around, those who don't take offence, but alas there are still far too many who do. If only these offended folk could learn to view the world a little more objectively, and to interact with others more calmly and rationally. Where appropriate, of course. It's always right to stand up to bullying and crime and nuisance and verbal abuse where they exist, but there's no need to imagine the worst in everything and to get stressed and angry about it. Stop jumping to conclusions. Get yourself a sense of humour. Learn to disagree without seething. And smile. Life may be full of annoying insensitive people, but life's too short.
