Mercurius
Legend
Again, saying you disagree with someone's interpretation is not "telling people they're not experiencing what they say they're experiencing." It is saying, "I disagree with your interpretation." I do hear what you and others are saying, which boils down to "the medium is the message." But I think that only goes so far, and we can't invalidate a perspective simply by saying "But they said it in a bad way, therefore I can ignore what they're saying, because it wasn't served just right."It doesn't seem that hard to me. Don't tell people they're not experiencing what they tell you they're experiencing. Don't tell people they're inventing reasons to feel offended. Discuss one's own thoughts and reactions without telling others, directly or passive-aggressively,that theirs are invalid.
Examining oneself is a good rule of thumb for all of us, as is questioning one's assumptions. These are things that I do all the time. But just as you want others to examine themselves and come to a "better way to see things" (meaning, your way), so too should you do the same. I mean, we can all, always see things in a better way; the onus is on us to evolve our own perspective, rather than focus on whether or not other people are examining themselves and recognizing how wrong they are. All we can do is engage in dialogue, and hope that we get our own view across, while continuing to evolve our own. Or at least that's my approach!I can tell you that I don't see the reactions you've described on this forum. But I'm not going to tell you that you're seeing them only because you're looking to be offended.
If you express concerns that an RPG product is harmful or off-putting or insensitive or thoughtless, and if it's my sincere belief that your expressed concerns are coming from a place of misplaced outrage because you're trying to get yourself and others riled up about something that doesn't actually matter, then, yes, absolutely, I should just be quiet and not participate. Yes, I should assume I'm wrong and look for a better way to see things. Yes, I should examine myself thoroughly.