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We are living in times of great cultural, ideological, and social change. Longstanding societal practices, concepts, and attitudes are being examined, challenged, overhauled, rebooted, or upended entirely. Conflict and discomfort are always part of change, even change we are eagerly seeking. And confrontation is often the only way to break the inertia of deeply rooted concepts and habits but the engines of change seem to be getting stuck on that particular cog. We seem to be revelling in the confrontation.
The necessary calling out of abuses has shifted into some form of contest to show off our ability to find offense in even the most innocuous circumstances or language. What began as attempting to raise awareness driven by efforts towards justice and equality has become trolling, dog-piling, and gas-lighting as if it were some sort of badge of honor to find offense where no one else has found it before. So many people seem to have become addicted to being aggrieved.
If we spend our days searching for fights we will inevitably find them, even if we have to create them ourselves in order to do so.