Are you racist?

[Maxxthepenguin]

The best way to diagnose a disease is to look at the symptoms. Without the symptoms you won't catch it until it's (ominous music) too late.

This analogy sucks :/

Basically, what archie said.

[Tyche]

When we see something, read something, hear something, whatever, an interaction happens. An interaction between the subject and the object. You play the role of the subject, and there's an interaction with the object. The way you interact with that particular object changes depending on several factors (Race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, language, age, ability/disability, parents, passages, economic class/work, genetic make-up, sibling placement, time in history, place, traumatic events, friends, etc etc etc). Think of the interaction as a metacritical assumption. It begins with Engaging the object, then perceiving it the object, followed by interpreting it, then ending with the evaluation.

For example:
Time flies! I can't, they go to fast.

Seemingly, this sentence makes no fucking sense at all. It is what it is, we engage it, perceive it, but we fail to interpret it. The sentence actually makes perfect sense. Instead of thinking of Time as the noun and flies as the verb, look at it as time being the verb, and flies being the noun. Now the sentence makes perfect sense. It's because of the old adage "Time flies" that we fail to interpret the sentence at first.

It's confusing as hell, but I think this is what the linguistics professor was getting at. The Subject and Object are what they are. You, and the word nigger are there, and they are what they are. However, by looking at it through another pair of glasses, it may not be offensive. Think of it like this, if I, a white male, calls someone a nigger, the word is no different than if a black male calls another black male a nigger. The meaning and the word remain constant, you (the subject) and the word nigger (the object) are still the same. The interaction between the subject and object changes. It's not the fault of the object that it changes, but it's the fault of the subject, yourself. You completely change how you interact with the object depending on who presents it to you. If you remain constant in the way you interact with the word nigger, you can completely dissolve the offensive nature.

Another example is when you begin to read a book, and you are like
"This book fucking sucks"

This statement is erroneous obviously. The book doesn't suck, but your interaction with the book sucks. I'm sure other people enjoy the book. You have to ask yourself "what do I need to do to change myself (the subject) to interact better with the book (the object) in order to make it not suck so much.

[Kuya]

Ok then, i concede. Would you guys be so kind as to provide me with the solutions to make people stop saying nigger on the internet? Being partly black, these words affect me quite negatively you see, and since i don't want to shoot some school by letting my emotions fester, I mean because, obviously, pointlessly getting mad at something you can't stop obviously has no negative side-effects on my health, like increasing blood preasure or causing psycholigical harm, or some other stretch of an example much like shooting a school. Punching my computer screen doesn't seem to be helping, please help me.

PLEASE, STOP RACISM WITH YOUR EQUALLY UNTANGEBLE SOLUTIONS

[archibaldcrane]

My sarcasm meter is as worthless as my divining rod, in regards to that last post.

[Kuya]

It's a sarchasm.

[archibaldcrane]

If you remain constant in the way you interact with the word nigger, you can completely dissolve the offensive nature.

Every other word in the english language gains meaning via context. I'm not going to treat the word "nigger" any differently than any other word. It doesn't get special treatment.

Sorry.

(also: what if you remain constant in that you get offended every time you hear the word nigger (like many people do) - how does this dissolve it's offensive nature?)

[Tyche]

If you remain constant in the way you interact with the word nigger, you can completely dissolve the offensive nature.

Every other word in the english language gains meaning via context. I'm not going to treat the word "nigger" any differently than any other word. It doesn't get special treatment.

Sorry.

(also: what if you remain constant in that you get offended every time you hear the word nigger (like many people do) - how does this dissolve it's offensive nature?)

It doesn't gain or lose any meaning, the meaning is always there. How you interact with the word is dependent on what meaning you choose to interpret. The subject and the object are the same, your interpretation is the variable. You are the one that gives the word context, not the presenter of the object, or the object itself.

As far as your last quote, I would assume you understood that to be able to dissolve the offensive nature, you must "put on a different pair of glasses" where the word isn't offensive. I tried to explain that in the last example I gave. Obviously, the usage of the word nigger isn't going to go away, and if you are truly offended by it, then possibly you can change the way you interact with the word. I think this is actually a plausible solution for yourself, obviously it won't have a global effect. But the word isn't going to go away, and you aren't going to be living in 300 years when the word may have completely lost it's true meaning. The only feasible way, I see, of dissolving you being offended, is to put yourself in the mindset where when you interact with the word, when you engage it, perceive it, interpret, and evaluate it from a way that isn't necessarily offensive. Like the ling dude said, it's a really fucking difficult concept to grasp.

[archibaldcrane]

It doesn't gain or lose any meaning, the meaningS are always there. How you interact with the word is dependent on what meaning you choose to interpret.

Slightly fixed. What meaning I choose to interpret depends on context. I'm not going to pick this one word and decide that it's always going to mean "acquaintance" (arguably it's least "offensive" potential definition). That's not how I interact with any other word in the english language and elevates the word nigger far above and beyond the linguistic value it should have. "Meaning" is defined by context, not by point of view. If someone says "I fucking hate niggers", I'm going to recognize it for what it is, not pretend the word means something other than what they intend.

[Tyche]

It doesn't gain or lose any meaning, the meaningS are always there. How you interact with the word is dependent on what meaning you choose to interpret.

Slightly fixed. What meaning I choose to interpret depends on context. I'm not going to pick this one word and decide that it's always going to mean "acquaintance" (arguably it's least "offensive" potential definition). That's not how I interact with any other word in the english language and elevates the word nigger far above and beyond the linguistic value it should have. "Meaning" is defined by context, not by point of view. If someone says "I fucking hate niggers", I'm going to recognize it for what it is, not pretend the word means something other than what they intend.

That's fine, that's what you do, and if that's how you handle it, fine. Words themselves aren't offensive. That's what some people have been trying to point out. What's offensive is your interaction with the word. As I said, it's not an easy task. You are basically telling yourself to change your view, put on new glasses. Maybe if you are black and are offended, you are asking yourself to be like a white guy, one who isn't offended. You are changing yourself, and changing your interaction. Like I said, and others, it's incredibly fucking difficult to wrap your brain around the concept, but people do do it to bring semblance to whatever aspects of their lives.

[Vistani]

Surely intent and context are what matters in a situation like this, with far less emphasis on the reception. It's all well and good to say that it's only a word and that it can't hurt you if you don't let it, but the offense is obviously meant by the person saying the insult, and whether or not you choose to 'empower' the word, the sentiment is there regardless. With many of these racial slurs they double as a term of endearment; in Australia for example the term wog loosely refers to foreigners particularly of Italian of Greek descent, and the word can be either endearing or offensive depending on the intent of the person saying it. However if you are aware that somebody is offended by something, whether it be a word or anything else for that matter and no matter how irrational the offense is, aren't you trying to offend them when you say it?

[Demosthenes11]

Offensive words aren't offensive by nature, they are offensive because people choose to take offense by them

[Max™]

Another example is when you begin to read a book, and you are like
"This book fucking sucks"

Book fucking does suck, cause I get papercuts on my dick.

[Kuya]

Offensive words aren't offensive by nature, they are offensive because people choose to take offense by them

For fucks sake. Somehow you people are taking something that says one thing, and then accomodating it to whatever notions you're trying to imply.

This shit isn't about saying that it is black people's fault for getting offended, merely that a word can vary according to context and interpretation, and that at times it is best to simply ignore the insult instead of getting bent out of shape over it. Stop trying to use it to displace the blame onto blacks. Why are you even trying to find something to blame?

Also, people need to learn what the fuck racism and prejudice are, they keep confusing them. You can have prejudice and stereotypes lead to racism, which is the intricate problem of both, but they aren't mutually inclusive. And to the people that keep posting on how much they hate everybody, cut the misantropy crap. Say what you mean; most of you mean to say that current black culture is very undesireble, and i somewhat agree, but i'm not stupid enough to assume that what black culture has turn into today, has no relevance to historical and social developements. And if you didn't mean that, then you can still cut the crap, because quite frankly from all the constant harping on these forums about how much humanity sucks, almost every single person who says this has had more than enough moronic moments to pretty much be included in this great society of stupidity many of you constantly complain about.

[Maxxthepenguin]

Offensive words aren't offensive by nature, they are offensive because people choose to take offense by them

And choosing to use a word that will possibly offend somebody like that, for a random example let's say nigger, makes you a steaming pile of shit and is an offensive action.

[archibaldcrane]

for a random example let's say nigger

I lol'ed.

[Tyche]

You can't put the blame on anyone. You can't blame a black person for being born black. There are a lot of things you cannot change that have an effect on the way you interpret meanings. I listed a shit ton of them in my first post. What you can try to do is show people that there is a means to "shovel the shit", however difficult it may be.

[Demosthenes11]

wtf? I stated a fact and people jump on my ass? I didn't say "blame" should be placed anywhere. Words themselves are not offensive - that is a fact. If people say comments out of line to me, I'm going to take offense. There isn't anything wrong with that. The person that says it is still a huge dickhole, I'm not arguing against that either o.O

where the fuck did I say blame blacks?

[Ryko]

wtf? I stated a fact and people jump on my ass?

Your "fact" was stupid, and you implied that it is the black community's fault predominantly since the people who would be most outrightly offended by its use is a no fucking brainer. I said it before and I'll say it again, if you want to call someone ignorant, "you're fucking ignorant" works.

Saying words themselves are not offensive is a fucking gimme, no shit they arent in of themselves. It doesn't change shit because all words exist within context. You're not changing the context of blasting the N-bomb by telling someone it's their fault for taking exception to it. That's just as stupid as burning a cross on a church lawn and saying it's their fault for being offended at the burning of wood, it's not your fault it was conveniently placed in a way that they'd recognize and assign context to.

[Demosthenes11]

wtf? I stated a fact and people jump on my ass?

Your "fact" was stupid, and you implied that it is the black community's fault predominantly since the people who would be most outrightly offended by its use is a no fucking brainer. I said it before and I'll say it again, if you want to call someone ignorant, "you're fucking ignorant" works.

Saying words themselves are not offensive is a fucking gimme, no shit they arent in of themselves. It doesn't change shit because all words exist within context. You're not changing the context of blasting the N-bomb by telling someone it's their fault for taking exception to it. That's just as stupid as burning a cross on a church lawn and saying it's their fault for being offended at the burning of wood, it's not your fault it was conveniently placed in a way that they'd recognize and assign context to.

wow, black people are the only ones that get offended by words? I wasn't implying jack shit. I'm simply saying history / word meaning has nothing to do with whether the word is offensive or not. If it's such a "no-brainer" why are blasting me to shit over? Get the fuck off my nuts

[Demosthenes]

I'd jump on the lets point out that Demosthenes11 is rather daft bandwagon, but other people have covered that multiple times. As for my opinion on races, I frankly don't give a shit, seeing as I've dated every ethnicity I can think of. It's all the same to me. I hate every race equally, and only enjoy being around the non-retarded members of whatever race.