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Brainstorming: Should we be offended?

Sat, 06/21/2008 - 13:31
Topic: Living With Epilepsy - Adults
So my yahoo news feed sent me this. http://social.moldova.org/stiri/eng/128767/ As I was reading it I was thinking how absurd it was. Heck, half of the words we use can be seen as offensive if we were to break them down all entymologically and historically and on and on. I think the bigger issue is ignorance towards what epilepsy is. Outlawing the usage of the word "brainstorming" or another other word like it is not going to educate anyone, if anything it makes me feel like that sort of thing just adds more of a stigma and thus makes us more vulnearable. I see it as just another well-meaning, but wayward, example of institutional action that amounts to not doing anything at all except avoiding measures that might actually be helpful. In this case the measure was declared as extreme and unnessary, as it was, but I think this happens elsewhere as well. If people are ignorant they can still be very mean while trying to be very politically correct in their language. (Like my martial arts instructer who was careful not to address the class as "you guys" since I was (the lone) female but did not allow me to spar when I reached level because "women need to learn pragmatic things, like escape tactics.") What does everyone else think about this? Having epilepsy, are there things people say that offend you? (I don't mean like directly insulting you.)

Comments

Re: Brainstorming: Should we be offended?

Submitted by cranberrygirl on Fri, 2008-08-22 - 11:55

*LOL* Brainstorming as a seizure?? If that is offensive I guess me describing MY seizures as a short circuit would also be offensive. Criminy!!

 Being PC has gone wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too far these days!! In the last 25 years I have seen the world bend itself into a pretzel to be "sensitive" but what the world doesn't seem to realise is- we make fun of ourselves all the time.

I used to hear about my seizures being "fits" so I started telling people they were not fits, I threw parties where I was the only attendant! It got people off the the whole" you poor thing" and turned it into- what is she talking about??

To this day I tell people that I do the "funky chicken", and if they don't like it too bad- it's my party and I'll dance how I like ;)

*LOL* Brainstorming as a seizure?? If that is offensive I guess me describing MY seizures as a short circuit would also be offensive. Criminy!!

 Being PC has gone wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too far these days!! In the last 25 years I have seen the world bend itself into a pretzel to be "sensitive" but what the world doesn't seem to realise is- we make fun of ourselves all the time.

I used to hear about my seizures being "fits" so I started telling people they were not fits, I threw parties where I was the only attendant! It got people off the the whole" you poor thing" and turned it into- what is she talking about??

To this day I tell people that I do the "funky chicken", and if they don't like it too bad- it's my party and I'll dance how I like ;)

Re: Brainstorming: Should we be offended?

Submitted by no alleykat on Fri, 2008-08-22 - 13:21

  I love it!

  I have upset others with calling mine  "Breakdancing" When they are a mild one I call them "Brainfarts"

  A friend of mine says his is part of  "The Electric Slide"

  When someone refers to my sz. as a fit, I simply tell them " It was a sz., you have not seen me throw a fit yet. Would you like me to call you if I decide to?"

  I seems to me, soon we will all talk like the cavemen did  

  I love it!

  I have upset others with calling mine  "Breakdancing" When they are a mild one I call them "Brainfarts"

  A friend of mine says his is part of  "The Electric Slide"

  When someone refers to my sz. as a fit, I simply tell them " It was a sz., you have not seen me throw a fit yet. Would you like me to call you if I decide to?"

  I seems to me, soon we will all talk like the cavemen did  

Re: Brainstorming: Should we be offended?

Submitted by seaglass415 on Fri, 2008-08-22 - 23:46

     I think things have gone too far.  I am much less likely to be offended by the term itself than the obvious lengths some people will go to not hurt anyone's feelings.  As one of my doctors says "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, let's just call it a duck".  My partial simple seizures cause me to have vertigo and dizzyness,  I call it "my own personal rollercoaster and no you can't have a ride".  My youngest daughter used to call it "the nooty-patooty" in my head. What the heck, if I can't laugh at myself, who can I laugh at?

     Trish

     I think things have gone too far.  I am much less likely to be offended by the term itself than the obvious lengths some people will go to not hurt anyone's feelings.  As one of my doctors says "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, let's just call it a duck".  My partial simple seizures cause me to have vertigo and dizzyness,  I call it "my own personal rollercoaster and no you can't have a ride".  My youngest daughter used to call it "the nooty-patooty" in my head. What the heck, if I can't laugh at myself, who can I laugh at?

     Trish

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