Political correctness??

The idea behind political correctness (PC) is to avoid using language or behavior that offends or excludes those who are already marginalized.  However, does it make us more sensitive to other people or make us instead fearful of expressing our thoughts to those who may hold different opinions from our own?

Our language and speech patterns have an impact on the environment we live in. We take into account how our words affect the individuals who hear them when we choose them. Calling someone out for using a "problematic" term or insisting that they embrace your speech norms is not only demeaning and alienating, but it also displays a pose of social and cultural superiority, despite PC or woke culture's claims of wanting to include everyone. After all, the most reliable indicator of someone’s support of political correctness is their advantageous education and income. So, is this kind of sensitivity actually doing anything for minorities, or is it just the virtue signaling of the already privileged?

Particularly on college campuses, PC or woke culture can stifle free speech and diversity of opinion by, among other things, prohibiting the use of specific phrases or canceling controversial lectures. It’s getting to the point where each year, the number of words or phrases that American students are allowed to say aloud on certain university campuses is shrinking more and more, and with that, creativity and confidence to express oneself.  While it does not technically stop free speech, the more insidious threat is that it leads to a culture of self-censorship and voluntary limitation on speech. If people are not voicing the true extent of their thoughts and opinions, this in turn limits the scope of public discourse and deliberation.

Just because people aren’t voicing their opinions does not mean they do not exist. Instead, without the opportunity to test or publicly express ideas, they simply remain untested, are pushed farther underground, and become less flexible and more fixed. PC culture aims to promote tolerance, but instead it exacerbates polarization by inciting opposition. While some people may enjoy the morally superior sensation of "educating" someone, no one wants to be policed or patronized.

While respect and inclusiveness encourage social harmony, any forceful limitations on free speech lead to unintended effects, such as resentment, offense, or extremism. When it comes to PC speech, do the ends justify the means?