Don't take it Personal...

Language as hurtful and tasteless as it can be has actually had an UNoppressive role in my social circles. Don’t get me wrong, in my social circles terms are used that can be construed as crude and hurtful, but our group has a firm understanding that we’re not trying to hurt each other. We just joke around and understand that the language we use isn’t meant to cause harm. That being said there are still social circles in today’s society that do use oppressive language as a form of power or even just for their own sheer enjoyment. These are the despicable people that make modern society tense and very much like a mine field, were one wrong step and like a domino effect everything just blows.


While inside the social circle language causes very little tension, the circle always seem to have a type of filter that when speaking to someone who may take words or statements personally, understands to avoid potentially oppressive languages and tones. Inside the group though it’s absurd when someone has their feelings hurt because of something somebody says but, who can blame them? The ridiculous amount of tension and angst provided by society and the media concerning touchy subjects such as race, gender and social class make it nearly impossible to avoid touchy situations.


Also, language hasn’t played an oppressive role in my social circles because no one in the circle associates with people who try to physically, emotionally, or mentally breakdown people by using harmful words about sensitive subjects, like the ones mentioned above. Those people who find joy in breaking down others and watching other suffer are classless and compulsive. To think that amount of damage one can do to another human being by just simply throwing around lewd terms is unbelievable. Just a few words can cause great damage and even possible cause one to take their own life.


Sometimes language can even be oppressive to loved ones. For example, a young boy struggling in school gets yelled at by his father for not keeping up with his classmates, the father calls his son “stupid” and “mindless”. Two simple words that seem relatively harmless tear this boy down emotionally and may even scar him for life. Another is one that I have personally witnessed. As a little kid I played little league baseball, which was pretty common amongst young boys our age, and one year at the triple A level, one of my team mates would always get talked down to by his uncle when he let down the team. The uncle would say things like “how can u drop that fly ball? You’re letting down your team!” Keep in mind the triple A level of little league isn’t even the top division, at the time we were only young boys of age eleven and twelve just playing a game we love and trying to have fun. That one boy’s uncle took that pleasure away from his nephew, the boy never got to just be free and have fun, he always had to deal with the repercussions from his uncle if he were to strikeout or make a bad throw. These heartless people are what make even common language hurtful.


This is not the “oppressive” language that is used in my social circles. In my circles it’s more of the teasing kind. Joking around about a problem or issue that someone has or just poking fun at each other. I feel the language we use is unoppressive because of the meaning behind it. For example, if someone were to do something dumb that some of the people found humorous, they might call him or her a “retard” but, the person being called the name understands that it’s all in good fun and sometimes even come up with a come back of their own to counteract the statement.


Universally, language within cliques is fairly harmless. It becomes an issue rather when cliques with conflicting views or social styles mix and something that was once not an issue becomes one when used to the wrong person. We make our own language seem as we want it by the way we use our tones and the desired effect we look for when we say it.


Lastly, I am glad to be in social circles were the language comes of as harmless and playful, rather then being seen as crude and wicked. This firm understanding of understanding the limits one has in the circle makes it easier for everyone to avoid getting hurt. It’s when one doesn’t have the filter and uses language to breakdown other that is simply despicable in society. The heartlessness one must have is quite unimaginable. This is life though, there will always be a level disgust that words can provide when used in derogatory ways. The only thing one can do is check themselves and make sure they are doing correct and hopefully other will follow.