For those of you not familiar with the term Political Correctness:
Here is a definition from the Cambridge Dictionary:
“Someone who is politically correct believe that language and actionsthat could be offensive to others, especially those relating to sex and race, should be avoided.”
Political correctness (PC) is about silencing what does not pleases us. That does not mean it will go away. Racism does not go away because you start to call people apples instead of oranges. Sexual harassment does not go away, because you decide on a new policy or a Code of Conduct.
The concept is very much a Western creation, but according to my experience you can find it any culture, just in different forms and under a different name.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS HAMPERS PROGRESS
If children in poorer countries have a low IQ, we should call it that. And ask what to do about it. There are many girls and boys who, potentially, could have become a great scientist or a doctor. Since they are not able to develop their potential IQ, they never will, even if they had the money. Mainly due to malnutrition. Instead we keep on calling it “learning incapacity”, or some other nicety. Niceties that are so vague that the issue does not get the attention it deserves. Hence, the tragedy can go on.
Political correctness implies that a group or an individual put an unpredictable censorship on themselves. As a result, political correctness leads to bad solutions, because the group has been fixated on this “right” = PC solution, while there may have been others that are far better. And you miss out on important information, data and research because it is not PC.
“WHY TOLERANCE IS PATRONIZING”
Breaking the chains of political correctness in a work-place or an industry is not easy. It is still worth trying. I have been silenced and ridiculed more times than I can remember. I do not regret one of them.
Let this video with the famous Slovenian Philosopher Slavoj Žižek be an inspiration. (He is not snorting, it is one of his nervous tics, which he probably wouldn’t mind you making jokes about)
He talks about not taking yourself so seriously, and stop being offended on other’s behalf. Especially, if you have not even asked their opinion.
You may or may not agree with him, but he is always entertaining.