It's not a trigger! Stop it!

I've been seeing a lot of people saying they're "triggered" when in actuality, they have no idea what that word means. If something upsets you, it's not "triggering" you, it's simply upsetting you, learn to deal with your emotions and quit trying to police everyone else. 

A true trigger is something that brings someone to their knees in a full on panic or anxiety attack. It is an involuntary response to a stimulus that cannot be controlled without help from a psychiatric professional. It is not something that merely offends you. 

To continue using this word as for offenses taken rather than it's actual meaning is doing a disservice to people who truly do have a trigger and are trying to raise awareness to the fact that sometimes people have odd triggers. 

I have my own triggers, I have a few that I've identified. I don't look to everyone else to tailor themselves for my comfort still. If they are a close friend, then they will understand and they won't do things to deliberately antagonize me. It is up to me though to not go into situations where I know I may be triggered. If I get triggered it is up to me to handle those emotions and do my best to move on. 

If something offends you, and that's the extent of it, it's just offensive. GOOD! Try to figure out why it offended you and what false perceptions surrounding it you may have, then build a bridge and get over it. Yeah it can be difficult but friends will help, if they won't, they're not friends and what the fuck are they doing in your life anyway? 

I must say that I'm tired of this culture that is so easily offended and extremist. There seems to be very little middle ground now. I see two polar opposites in this matter. The people who say "sticks and stones will break my bones but words can never hurt me" and the people who say "omg, a word, get it away omg an idea I disagree with Waaaahh" Both sides need to grow up. 

The first ones mentioned need to realize that words absolutely do hurt people and stick around for a lifetime sometimes. The second group needs to realize that they're going to have to be responsible for their own emotions before the first group is going to take them seriously. The first group doesn't take the second group seriously because they don't see it. They have learned to deny they have emotions surrounding daily living and words. They believe it makes them strong to deny themselves when in actuality it leads to their anger and anger is a weakness, not a strength. 

The second group seems to not be able to quit crying long enough to be taken seriously. You know like the boy who cried wolf, eventually, no one can take you seriously. Yes, words hurt but you have to realize that you are also putting your own meaning to those words and making them negative or positive based on your own perception. If you work on your perception of things then maybe you won't be crying all the time about minor slights and "micro-aggressions". 

Remember, at the end of the day, you don't have to care what anyone thinks. An idea is just that, an idea and they have every right to express it. You also have every right to tell them their an idiot. But we do not have the right to go around hitting people because we disagree with them. That's petty childish behavior. Words are only a small step behind physical action in my book. Ultimately it is up to each and every one of us to control our thoughts, speech, and actions. It is no one else's responsibility but your own. 

So please, stop with the bull. It's not a trigger if you're offended. It's only a trigger if you have a diagnosed psychiatric condition such as PTSD. And even someone with PTSD isn't going around having everything "trigger" them.. So tumblr kids, get ya some skin already, or else you're not gonna be able to survive the road rash of this world, and idiots who think words can't hurt. They absolutely do, but not as badly as these kids are leading on. Both sides are needed. We can't have light without darkness, we cannot grow without a conflict.