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An '''offense''' is a [[Violence|violation]] of [[dignity]] and [[Individual|personal]] or [[collective]] [[rights]]; [[insult]] by word or deed, or both; an [[injustice]]. It may be real, or it may be imagined. The taking or giving of "offense" may be a [[Cause|pretext]] for generating [[Aggression|conflict]], and is often a hot topic in [[Partisan politics in the United States|partisan politics]]. Frequently someone claims that another writer or speaker has said something "offensive".
An '''offense''' is a [[Violence|violation]] of [[dignity]] and [[Individual|personal]] or [[Community Psychology|collective]] [[rights]]; [[insult]] by word or deed, or both; an [[injustice]], perceived as a form of [[evil]]. It is always [[Ugliness|ugly]]. It may be real, or it may be imagined. The taking or giving of "offense" may be a [[Provocateur|pretext]] for generating [[Aggression|conflict]]. Offense is often a hot topic in [[Partisan politics in the United States|partisan politics]]—frequently someone claims that another writer or speaker has said something "offensive", which was "[[wrong]]".
An offense that is deliberate is intended to produce at least one of two basic responses:
*[[Stress|Suffering]] or [[Fear]]
*[[Anger]] or [[Violence]]
Offense has been used to crush or silence [[Opponent|opposition]], and in attempts to repel or drive away anyone deemed to be [[xenophobia|undesirable]].
Unintentional offense results from careless actions or words without consideration of their actual offensiveness to others, or from genuine [[ignorance]], or from the distorted perceptions and interpretations of [[prejudice]]d persons eagerly taking offense at normally innocent and acceptable speech and behavior, solely for the purpose of causing [[protest|civil unrest]]. Unintentional offenses have often been used by [[provocateurs]] using [[specious reasoning]] and [[Appeal to emotion|appeals to emotion]] as pretexts for starting [[riot]]s.
Common offenses include [[sacrilege]], [[blasphemy]], [[oppression]], [[tyranny]], [[slavery]], [[contempt]], [[ridicule]], [[alienation]], [[intimidation]], [[treachery]], [[treason]], [[mutiny]], [[prejudice]], [[racism]], [[hate-monger]]ing, [[vandalism]], [[fornication]], [[adultery]], [[child molestation]], [[bullying]], [[oppression]], [[Sadism|cruelty]], [[kidnapping]], [[Prison|imprisonment (especially false)]], taking [[hostage]]s, [[Torture|mutilation]], [[Homicide|killing]], [[manslaughter]], [[gossip]], [[slander]], [[libel]], [[character assassination]], [[hypocrisy]], [[false witness]], [[envy]], [[jealousy]], [[conspiracy]], [[fraud]], [[crime]]s, [[tort]]s, [[negligence]] (violations of the [[Standard of care]]), and [[misdemeanor]]s.
==See also==
==See also==
*[[Politically correct|Political correctness]]
*[[Politically correct|Political correctness]]
*[[Rhetoric]]
*[[Polemic]]
*[[Prejudice]]
*[[Litigation]]
*[[Litigation]]
*[[Human rights]]
*[[Human rights]]
*[[Hypocrites]]
*[[Outrage]]
*[[Outrage]]
*[[Confederate flag]]
*[[Swastika]]
*[[Sin]]
*[[Sin]]
[[Category:Political Terms]]
[[Category:Political Terms]]
[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:Morality]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Dictionary]]
[[Category:Dictionary]]