Girls, girls. Haven’t you ever heard of a harem? That should solve your problem.

In addition to agreeing wholeheartedly with your frustration at the lack of common decency, I will add that one of the worst things to watch is how parading one’s uncouth behavior seems to actually increase social status. Kind of the inverse of the adage “nice guys finish last.” I think I die a little bit every time I hear about a guy who treats his girlfriend like dirt but still gets more loyalty than I do.

I haven’t fallen too far yet. I bite now, but only if I like you.

To me, the Chinese concept of “face” is both related to and an explanation for the notions of politeness versus rudeness. If your “face” is essentially the socially endorsed version of your manifest persona, then it is neither solely your own construction nor solely that of the society around you. For that reason, and because we are all mutually vulnerable to, if you’ll pardon the expression, “defacement,” maximum benefit to all parties accrues when we act as though we had mutual respect.

The basis of society is, of course, social, and we can’t be social if we don’t have some kind of awareness of other people’s sense of themselves. I think it’s the awareness of this that make one either mature or old, depending on what generation you’re in.

“I truly hate the whole idea of “politically correct” as well as “politically incorrect” because both of them give cover to moral and intellectual cowardice and/or outright boorishnes.”

Well, yes. When the rules are stupid or oppressive, they give real troublemakers the moral high ground. Remove the concept of “political correctness,” and you remove them both.

But the key is so simple. Sometimes, beliefs will offend. The question is WHY. We cannot keep sensitive souls from all harm, or perceived slight. We can insist that if you are going to offend someone, there be a good reason. And that people be understanding of others, and willing to give the benefit of the doubt (good manners are a reciprocal thing - Rick obviously had them).

Being able to giggle about magic underwear isn’t a good reason, which is why it’s just rude. But there are issues where political or religious beliefs will collide, and some may feel hurt. That’s just reality in a free society, and necessary to the proper functioning of a free polity.

But this also explains why some subjects have traditionally been fenced from polite conversation. If the bounds of politeness are (properly) very stretched in such conversations, not allowing them in “polite society” only makes sense.

I grew up in a town where the ANP and the KKK flourished. I went to Jr High and High school in an environment where we literally had race riots. My friends were Chicano, asian and black. Rick was a good friend in HS, and he was a black kid. He came over one afternoon, and I will never forget my mother, who liked him, said, “Rick! Hey, there, haven’t seen you in a coon’s age!” Rick was the first one to bust up, because he knew, he absolutely knew what my mother meant, and it was hilarious. Even funnier was to see her try to back-track it: “Oh! Oh, you - oh, you KNOW I didn’t mean THAT! ” Cracking up, the two of us.

Context is everything, truth and common sense.

No. But that is the logical consequence of its frequent use to stifle debate about political agendas - the devaluation of _real_ decency. Gresham’s Law doesn’t just work on money.

The solution is to strenuously protest both political correctness, and fundamental breaches of common decency. When BOTH are greatly diminished, decency and civility will flourish again.

In a 4th Turning world, you may have to wait a bit for this… but the good news is, it will likely come in time. We just may have to work for it.

you’ve managed to put into words what i feel regarding the juvenile imbeciles who populate most forums, well said.