THE BENEFITS AND DISBENEFITS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Political correctness, or PC, does have a lot to be said for it, such as the fact that it restrains us from voicing some of our basest prejudices, ignorance and uncouth thoughts. For example, we might think racist thoughts, sexist thoughts, ageist thoughts, and homophobic thoughts, at times, but, if we are living in countries and societies which are trying to develop greater enlightenment of the human condition, then the 'principle of political correctness', for those of us who are aware of its existence and meaning, will kick in and stop us from making social pariahs of ourselves.

If I recall correctly, the French Sociologist, has argued that 'civilization is a superficial veneer.' This suggest that it might not be the basis or foundation on which human societies are based, but on something less ostentatious, which we are trying to gradually be replaced, with the right conditioning, such as being 'politically correct, as we progress towards 'civilization' and greater enlightenment.

At its core, 'political correctness' is really about people and societies trying to avoid offending, stigmatising and causing people emotional, psychological and even physical harm. Yet, paradoxically, it can sometimes actually lead to people being harmed when it is used, in my opinion, inappropriately.

As well as posing some risk of making us all into 'conscience police', political correctness, applied indiscriminately, can risk causing harm by dis-empowering the people who are in a position to protect people from such harm. On the one hand, it can empowers and protect people from unwanted attention and offensive behaviour. But, it can also 'legitimises' the product of harmful behaviours and habits, by probably euphemising it.

This seems to be the case in how societies are struggling to deal with the increasing incidence of clinical obesity. Resorting to the 'protection of political correctness', some people who are clinically or morbidly obese, have sort to argue that they are proud of being big, and that society should not discriminate against them. Of course, it could equally be the case that some of them have simply adjusted to their size or are is rationalising their situation.
Be it as it may, there is the argument that society should adjust to and cater for their additional needs better.

Not wanting to be 'unpolitically correct', society has, in probably most cases, complies with the demand to meet the increased needs of people who are obese.  Why? Because they are humans, and have a right to have their needs met as best they and society can. There was a time when obese people would be referred to as 'fat people', but political correctness, and even anti-harrassment policies, now discourage it, and people can get into the proverbial 'hot water' for referring to people as 'fat', or placing themselves in positions where they could be deemed to be discriminating against a person because of his/her obese condition. Even calling or describing somebody as 'obese' can be problematic, because of its association with being fat.

The indiscriminate application of political correctness, has made it more difficult for healthcare agencies and professionals, and schools to tackle obesity, for fear of them being seen as targeting 'over-weight' or obese children. Something which can only be to the detriment of these children.

Now, where people deliberately over eat foods and drinks which they know is going to cause them to become grossly overweight, or obese, and damage their health and the quality of their personal and social lives, should they really feel put upon if society is reluctant to allocate more resources to meet their additional needs?  Should the clinically or morbidly obese person, whose condition was avoidable, not be treated with the same social displeasure as the alcohol and smoke addict, whose unhealthy life-styles results in serious damage to their vital organs?

Would society be accommodating to the alcohol and/or smoke addicted person resorting to the defence of 'political correctness', to counter its ostracisation of  them?

With personal choice and freedom, comes personal responsibility for the consequences of the option you have chosen. It is therefore a person's choice to pursue unhealthy eating habits and life-styles, but they should take steps to ensure that they, and not society per se, are able to and willing to stand the consequences of their action, when they arise.

At the same time, adults, especially parents of young children and minors, should be aware that they do not have the right to behave irresponsibly and negligently, by getting their children addicted to unhealthy eating habits and life-styles, which are going to reduce their chances of a full and happier life.  Additionally, parents should be aware of the need to provide their children with positive role-modelling, by being able to say, unselfishly, son or daughter, you want to be like me, instead of, you don't want to be like me because...