ThinkSkeptic Posted August 28, 2017 Posted August 28, 2017 Do you think that the word "aggression" is appropriate in the phrase "passive-aggression"? According to Webster's, "aggression" can mean "hostile, injurious, or destructive behavior," which is the intention (and likely result) of being passive-aggressive. If the answer to the question above is yes, I think the development of the term "microaggression" to refer to people being hurt by hearing certain ideas they disagree with is at least defensible as a form of aggression. If microaggressions are aggression, what those who use the term believe will claim is that it's immoral enough to justify firing someone from their job or initiating force against them. I think it's obvious that it isn't immoral because killing a lion or a snake is aggressive, and if humans had never done that, then humans would have all been eaten by their predators long ago. My point is: maybe what we should be saying to those who accuse others of microaggressions, implicitly claiming that microaggressions are always immoral, is that causing injury/harm to someone is not always immoral and they need to make the case that a specific instance of microaggression is immoral. It's not enough to claim that an action is aggressive to condemn it.
M.2 Posted August 28, 2017 Posted August 28, 2017 I would agree that passive-aggression is a bit of an oxymoron, and a misnomer too. The Americans have a much more fitting term for it if I'm not mistaken: "Being a dick". Is it immoral? Maybe, idk. Sure, a passive-aggressive person is a waste of time, but I also agree that we should be having more important matters to worry about.
shirgall Posted August 28, 2017 Posted August 28, 2017 The point of championing microaggressions is to excuse aggressions in response to them. 1
RichardY Posted August 28, 2017 Posted August 28, 2017 Passive-aggression is far worse, than active open aggression. I think because it is more on an unconscious level, take the Bible for example and the Disciples Judas and Peter Betraying and Denying Jesus. In the case of "Micro-Aggression" they are the cases of someone being passive-aggressive to justify their future behaviour, they may or may not be aware that they are being passive-aggressive, but they are usually not fully aware unless being malevolent. Examples of Passive-Aggression 1) Calling a Black manager at work "Boss"(without malicious reference to slavery..) and them calling you racist and demanding an apology. 2) Intentionally dropping crates of goods(and saying it was an accident) to pilfer the contents latter.
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