Do not whine about "PC culture". Realize that all societies have taboos on what is considered decent to say in public. Would you really like it to be otherwise? Rather, if you are unhappy with the status quo, you are most likely trying to shift the window of political correctness in another direction. Excepting the most childish Neoliberals, most everyone who cares for the well-being of society understands that it needs boundaries, including boundaries on public expression of opinions.
If you do want to change the window of public expression, start in private. Discuss with close friends and confidantes such issues that you would be afraid to raise in public. In some cases, it may turn out that you simply needed to ventilate something and, having done so, you realize that it did sound kind of stupid after all. No harm done so long as you do it with a trusted friend. We simply need to express an opinion before we fully know if we believe in it, in some cases. We need to taste it, hear what it sounds like after it has left the world of ideas and become manifest as speech. The problem with political correctness - whatever form it may take - is not that it puts up boundaries for public speech, but that it can stifle thought itself. Circumvent this problem through private discussions, and you will also get a better understanding of where the boundaries are. You may, in private, occassionally cross such as boundary - make sure you notice when you do! If you never cross this boundary, if you prefer to stay safe and never even approach it, your boundaries for thought will shrink much more than necessary, or you may suddenly find yourself crossing the boundary in a drastic and crude manner.
It is sometimes puzzling to observe when a populist politician crosses such a boundary without having the slightest understanding of doing so. Last year in Sweden, for instance, the politician Martin Strid from the Sweden Democrats held a speech where he described how all people exist on a scale from being 100 % human/humane or 100 % Muhammedan (creating a pun in Swedish), because Islam at its core constitutes some kind of fanatic death-cult - a view which in itself is rather fanatic, we might add. Only later did it occur to Strid that his political career was now over, thank you very much and goodbye. One newspaper later summarized his excuse (translation mine):
In India there is a saying: "When in public, be a Vaishnava. When among friends, be a Shaiva. But in private, always be a Shakta." What does this mean? First a clarification: a Vaishnava is a devotee of the benign Vishnu, Lord of Preservation; a Shaiva is a follower of Lord Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds as well as the limited ego. A Shakta is a devotee of Shakti, the divine feminine power, the Goddess - variously associated with grace, the world as beauty, primordial womb, darkness and mystery. So in public, one behaves as a pious Vaishnava, observing all exoteric rites and rules of propriety, never transgressing against any law, never associating with impure foods, practices or people. When among friends, spiritual seekers celebrate the intoxicating power of Shiva and possibly compete with each other for his favor. They may even push each other to the limit, occassionally engaging in things that would not be appropriate in public. Finally, when one private, the adept retreats even from the bluster and combativeness of his Shaivite friends and basks in the grace of the Divine Mother, the most intimate and serene mystery. This, at least, is my understanding of what the saying means, although I readily confess that I have never had it explained to me.
What this teaches us is that there are various levels of speech, interaction and action - everything is not appropriate at all levels. Establish clear boundaries between your intimate sphere, your private sphere and your public sphere, and know what activities belong where. Perhaps you will even find, ultimately, that there is no need to try to bring certain things into the public sphere, whether opinions, attitudes or transgressive social practices.
If you do want to change the window of public expression, start in private. Discuss with close friends and confidantes such issues that you would be afraid to raise in public. In some cases, it may turn out that you simply needed to ventilate something and, having done so, you realize that it did sound kind of stupid after all. No harm done so long as you do it with a trusted friend. We simply need to express an opinion before we fully know if we believe in it, in some cases. We need to taste it, hear what it sounds like after it has left the world of ideas and become manifest as speech. The problem with political correctness - whatever form it may take - is not that it puts up boundaries for public speech, but that it can stifle thought itself. Circumvent this problem through private discussions, and you will also get a better understanding of where the boundaries are. You may, in private, occassionally cross such as boundary - make sure you notice when you do! If you never cross this boundary, if you prefer to stay safe and never even approach it, your boundaries for thought will shrink much more than necessary, or you may suddenly find yourself crossing the boundary in a drastic and crude manner.
It is sometimes puzzling to observe when a populist politician crosses such a boundary without having the slightest understanding of doing so. Last year in Sweden, for instance, the politician Martin Strid from the Sweden Democrats held a speech where he described how all people exist on a scale from being 100 % human/humane or 100 % Muhammedan (creating a pun in Swedish), because Islam at its core constitutes some kind of fanatic death-cult - a view which in itself is rather fanatic, we might add. Only later did it occur to Strid that his political career was now over, thank you very much and goodbye. One newspaper later summarized his excuse (translation mine):
"It was very unfortunate, I expressed myself very crudely. I apologize for that," says Strid and claims that he had been stressed due to short speaking time.One may well wonder what on Earth was going through this man's head as he entered the podium to deliver this career-ending speech. Probably he had convinced himself that what he was about to say sounded perfectly reasonable - it sounded outlandish and appalling. A benevolent interpretation would have it that Strid did not at all mean to say "Muslims are not humans", but simply "Muslims are indoctrinated in a way that inhibits their humanity." But 21th century Mass Media does not thrive on nuances, which he should have been well aware of (and for clarity, I care nothing for this latter interpretation of his position either).
In India there is a saying: "When in public, be a Vaishnava. When among friends, be a Shaiva. But in private, always be a Shakta." What does this mean? First a clarification: a Vaishnava is a devotee of the benign Vishnu, Lord of Preservation; a Shaiva is a follower of Lord Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds as well as the limited ego. A Shakta is a devotee of Shakti, the divine feminine power, the Goddess - variously associated with grace, the world as beauty, primordial womb, darkness and mystery. So in public, one behaves as a pious Vaishnava, observing all exoteric rites and rules of propriety, never transgressing against any law, never associating with impure foods, practices or people. When among friends, spiritual seekers celebrate the intoxicating power of Shiva and possibly compete with each other for his favor. They may even push each other to the limit, occassionally engaging in things that would not be appropriate in public. Finally, when one private, the adept retreats even from the bluster and combativeness of his Shaivite friends and basks in the grace of the Divine Mother, the most intimate and serene mystery. This, at least, is my understanding of what the saying means, although I readily confess that I have never had it explained to me.
What this teaches us is that there are various levels of speech, interaction and action - everything is not appropriate at all levels. Establish clear boundaries between your intimate sphere, your private sphere and your public sphere, and know what activities belong where. Perhaps you will even find, ultimately, that there is no need to try to bring certain things into the public sphere, whether opinions, attitudes or transgressive social practices.
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