Would you consider yourself "easily offended"?

The problem with asking if you're easily offended is that people who are easily offended are probably likely to think something like "Of course not, but if someone says something very rude I am offended" - but from someone elses point of view their definition of really rude is very conservative and they do actually get offended very easily... Perhaps the results will prove me wrong :)

People are always saying "Now, I hope you're not offended, but..." about things that it would never occur to me to get offended about, so I put "no". It mostly takes either intent or unreasonable cluelessness to offend me.

Wow, this is a tough one to answer. I guess in general I don't feel that I offend easily, but I am easily embarrassed. It's difficult to answer without a specific example. I have no idea how this could have been explained better, but I feel unsure about what you mean.

I am so offended by the "verbose comment addict" phrase, that I refuse to even comment at all on this survey. wait...Oh crap!!! ;)

gilly: I would beg to difer about that. You just said you were offended by something I said on the cubes survey; my comment was neither clueless nor intended to offend. I'd say you were pretty easily offended there.

I am easily offended by certain kinds of behavior-- even very mild racism or nationalism (the kind against another country rather than for one's own) or other -isms offend me, so an entire kind of humor just doesn't amuse me at all. But body, sexuality, waste, personal feelings, etc. offend me much less than many people I know.

I disagree with the assertion (made in the explanation text) that people on the Internet have a thick skin. On the contrary, people tend to overreact and to be overly harsh to others on the Internet.

...my goodness, jzp made another survey!

I find that people in SC are the most sensitive people in the world. Just phrase a question that does not include or work well with some special case that somebody is living in and you are a close minded hate monger.

elijahblue: Good point. After some thought, I'd say that I'm not very easily offended in one-on-one interactions, but I'm more easily offended in less personal ones. It's easier for me to be offended by something *not* directly aimed at me personally, I think.

bill: not an assertion, an opinion (prefaced with "I think [...]"). Perhaps I'm not including enough newbies in my thought process, or perhaps I'm simple considering an intersection of sets that makes things appear this way to me. I'm seeking more info -gasp!- with a survey.

And yes, I figure I should try to make a survey at least annually.

Hillbilly, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Seriously, I've spent time on many Usenet groups and mailing lists where the tone is much more sensitive, inflammatory and accusatory. SC is not one of the more vituperative places to chat.

hunter: I will take your word on it. If other sites are as you say, they are not a places I want to go.

Green Globule of Good Vocabulary goes to hunter for her use on "vituperative"...

jzp: sorry, I think I don't really know the difference between an opinion and an assertion. Also, I think oldies can be just as sensitive as newbies (especially if you disturb their little corner of the 'net). I'm just disagreeing though, no big deal.

Hi, my name is grmbrand and I am a verbose comment addict. It all started when I was three. I was filling out the warranty card for my new nuclear-powered submarine, and when I got to the part of the card where it said "Comments/Suggestions" I just couldn't help but write a ten page essay on how the manufacturer might reduce propeller cavitation by slightly altering the pitch of the blades... (et cterea, et cetera)

No, I consider myself quite difficult to offend or embarrass.

I said no but I fake it .....Loved the other response though.