**Tl;dr: Sometimes political correctness can be taken too far** • Political correctness, in theory, is a force for good. It counteracts ideas of hate speech and promotes freedom and equality. • [Sam Ramsden] (https://metro.co.uk/2018/03/05/heres-why-political-correctness-is-actually-a-good-thing-7318575/) argues that political correctness is often mistaken for outrage culture, where they use the term to validate their extreme views of what is acceptable and what is not in society. He argues that political correctness is infact just being mindful of other people and their different backgrounds. • Political correctness when used in an extreme manner often perpetuates cancel culture. We often see this on social media, most commonly Twitter and Tiktok. [George Simms] (https://www.palatinate.org.uk/debate-has-political-correctness-gone-too-far/) argues that 'cancel culture has become social media's courtroom, except everyone gets the death penalty'. Most often, if someone is politically incorrect online their name gets spread around the internet, they receive numerous death threats, and if they try to apologise, the online hate increases. • In order to progress as a society, we need to be able to listen to others viewpoints and challenge them to incite change. If someone makes a mistake we should give them a chance to educate themselves before cancelling them.

Political correctness, is a way of standardising our behaviour towards a group of society that may have a grievance about the way society treats them, so that our behaviour is sensitive and respectful. We cannot all be so emotionally intelligent, that we can put ourselves into the shoes, of all cultures, races, genders, age groups whose experience may be radically different from our own. So political correctness is a society wide agreed way, of treating/referring to certain people and subjects, that is generally agreed to be sensitive. I remember meeting someone who was out-raged about political correctness going too far because she had been asked to fill out her course folder in black and white. She felt that this had something to do with race and political correctness. (It was probably to do with students over doing the colour photocopies, when using the university photocopy machine) No amount of explaining could convince her that the course specifications had nothing to do with political correctness and race. The reason I mention this is because, just as a person may lack enough emotional intelligence to understand how certain people who are disadvantaged in society may feel, a person may not have enough normal intelligence to understand what is and is not, a politically correct subject. As we cannot spend years making ourselves sensitive to every culture, race, gender, nationality or issue, politcal correctness is a useful shortcut into acting and speaking in a way, that is aimed at being sensitive and respectful to other people and subjects. This being the case, political correctness is a shortcut to sensitivity and respect to members of society. So doing it benefits society. Sensitive and respectful is the type of people most of us want to be and political correctness helps us to get there regardless of our i.q, emotional intelligence, or lack of relevant experience.

**TL;DR - Political Correctness is great for a tolerant society, but it should not silence people** Political Correctness is so prevalent in our society, and for good reason too. It has allowed people to take account for their actions and learn to adjust their approaches as society progresses and changes. On a personal level, my grandparents are the family members who take being ‘PC’ very seriously because they constantly worry that something they were once used to, could now cause great offence. This is great as it means people change with the times and change their behaviour to make others more comfortable. However, they are now scared to approach subjects of controversy over the fear of being ‘cancelled’. This is a real shame and I don’t think this is the aim for being ‘PC’ but it is a reality that some now fear using their voice. We should, as a society [applaud ourselves for the strives we make thanks to political correctness] (https://hbr.org/2006/09/rethinking-political-correctness). Terms that used to be prevalent and hurtful are being phased out of our vocabulary as a society. However it has made some believe they cannot approach subject matter, in case of offence. This is where I am mixed about ‘political correctness’ as in most cases it creates a better and more tolerant society but **it shouldn’t mean people can’t say things they want, or approach subject matter in case of offence**

By and large, "Political Correctness" is a reckless oxymoron!

"Political correctness" is the guise of respect to other cultures and a standardised way to communicate to people of different levels in society; in theory preventing offence. In actuality it is compelled speech and censorship, a hallmark of [authoritarian politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_the_Soviet_Union). We've [already seen](https://deadline.com/2021/02/gina-carano-the-ben-shapiro-show-disney-plus-the-mandalorian-pedro-pascal-1234697998/) examples of people being [sacked from their jobs](https://deadline.com/2018/07/james-gunn-fired-guardians-of-the-galaxy-disney-offensive-tweets-1202430392/) and in some cases [criminally prosecuted](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-43864133) for not being 'politically correct'. This is exerting a power over people for their use of language which goes against the God given right of freedom of speech, either through law or otherwise. Simply saying this is being held 'accountable' or promoting tolerance is false as we can see [intolerance](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/12/03/facebook-hate-speech/) being policed unevenly, and even [promoted](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/13/feminists-do-not-hate-men). If political correctness was sincerely for equality this should not happen. The motives of activists should also be [questioned](https://nypost.com/2021/04/10/inside-blm-co-founder-patrisse-khan-cullors-real-estate-buying-binge/) as we can see examples of [hypocrisy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/30/white-liberals-dumb-themselves-down-when-they-speak-black-people-new-study-contends/) when promoting a fair, politically correct image. Furthermore, in my opinion, this can have the unintended consequence of turning people towards hate instead of against it. Being compelled to act a certain way will naturally evoke a rebellious pushback against it. There is a reason we are seeing a rise in [certain political ideologies](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/far-right-black-lives-matter-protests-racism-patriotic-alternative-hope-not-hate-a9672401.html) in opposition to the mainstream 'politically correct' view. Were political correctness to not exist, ignorant views would be exposed and challenged more appropriately, and as Western cultures become more diverse education in societies around the world would be more readily available. To conclude my rant, I will say that I think the deeper meaning of political correctness is to bully people into thinking and acting a certain way while masquerading as 'tolerance'. This promotes the view that morality should be based on tolerance instead of traditional values, but there are certain acts which [should never be tolerated](https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/09/in-defense-of-pedophilia-again/279550/), and I question whether promoting political correctness it a force for [good](https://web.archive.org/web/20121014032108/ttp://www.theweek.co.uk/crime/49280/rochdale-child-sex-ring-did-political-correctness-delay-justice). If people want to be politically incorrect then it is their right to do so and compelling them otherwise is insidious.

Without correctness every country - and the world! - ends in the same demise of democracy as whta's happening in the USA now!