Emotional Triggers.

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It's getting out of hand. Just about everything a person can say or do can be perceived as a threat or "Trigger" to someone else's emotional well-being. It's become so bad that two people getting dressed up and going out for a meal together may "trigger" negative responses from dozens of other people and cause them to have meltdowns.

(Yes, I am exaggerating, but when you read through the list of triggers below, you may begin to see my point.)

Here is a list of Emotional Triggers that I have encountered by observing and noting the responses of other people to them. Please add more of your own.

Emotional Triggers

Bragging. The mere mention of a personal achievement in a group of people is likely to trigger at least one defensive/hostile reaction.

Couples. Two people seen in public arm-in-arm or holding hands is an assault against those who have no significant other in their lives.

Cultural Clothing. Wearing a turban, dashiki, barong, hijab, or china poblana is perceived by some to be a threat to their own culture, and may provoke an anger or fear reaction.

Eye Contact. Looking at someone may trigger an aggressive response. Strangely enough, not looking at someone may trigger the same response.

Laughter. People in the depressive phase of their bipolar disorders, or who are clinically depressed may perceive other people's laughter (and smiles) as a direct assault against them.

Meat. Eating meat in public may be perceived as a direct assault against vegetarians and vegans.

Milk. Drinking whole, white milk in public is an assault against those who are not descended from European stock. Thus, drinking milk is seen as a declaration of your own "whiteness" and therefore a threat to Africans, Asians, and Middle-Easterners.

Religious Symbols. The open display of religious symbols and/or reading material is perceived as an attack against atheists and people of other religions.

Suits. Wearing a suit (or other "Office-Formalwear") is an assault against working-class people who cannot afford nice clothing. Same for wearing expensive watches, shoes and jewelry.

Whispers. Speaking softly may trigger a fear response in people who are paranoid and/or schizophrenic. Paradoxically, speaking in a loud voice may trigger the same response from the same people.

It's getting ridiculous. It's getting to the point where simply being out in public could trigger an emotional response from some fragile snowflake. Sometimes, it's just not worth going out any more.

I agree. The political correctness is getting way out of hand.

I do have some words that are "trigger" words (usually mean ugly ones, but sometimes they can even be seemingly benign ones).

Overt abuse, of animals and people, sets me off.

Certain sounds do annoy me, but not to the extreme level you speak of. Some people just seem to want to be offended.

I don't think you have quite triggered enough people on this forum with your list

Your are indeed very lucky if nothing triggers you nowadays.

Oh, yeah ... certain things make sense as emotional triggers, but milk? Since when is drinking a glass of milk at a restaurant a political statement that declares the milk-drinker as a white supremacist?

Yep....there is the culture of "offense" out there.

People should give other people the benefit of the doubt. Most of the time, "offense" is not intended.

Sometimes, I have found that people use "being offended" as an excuse to do lousy deeds---some of which are in the news now.

"Being offended" is not a license to do nasty things. People just have to get over it sometimes.

don't forget black bags ( refuse sacks ) , black coffee , blackboards , holiday tree ( xmas tree ) , Personnel Access Units ( manhole covers ) , schools banning clothing depicting the American flag

But on the other hand maybe drinking milk is an emotional trigger for some , you would never leave the house if you were worried about triggering people - oh yeah I don't but not for that reason.

A means to control language over time. Like many things.. a slippery slope, in a way. Eventually, everything will be deemed as offensive and only approved speech permitted and tolerated.

(edit) Alot to it, of course. Language and communication is a good focal point for this as well.

"thick skin".

It's a solution.

And heaven forbid you mention you got vaccinated or got your kids vaccinated, or that the world is round and not flat, or even that outer space exists.

Or that you celebrate Christmas or even call it Christmas. Or even Halloween. Apparently we shouldn't celebrate holidays that not everyone celebrates or because people get offended at the sight of a Christmas tree or a jack o lantern.

Maybe I'm getting triggered by triggered people's triggers.

Last edited by lostonearth35 on 29 Oct 2018, 4:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

it's that 'domino effect'

Are people actually more 'triggered" now or are they more likely to complain now? I think it is the latter.

There was a decently popular song by Joe Jackson in 1979 where he seemed to be what we call "triggered" today by "Happy Loving Couples". When the song came out he was expressing a lot of what I was thinking at the time which was rare and I thought the coolest thing. Listening to it today there are some definite autistic themes in the song.

Most of the milk I drink I put in my tea. It's "black" tea, but not as dark as coffee, so it'll probably still offend the white supremacists. Here's hoping they turn out to be as lactose intolerant as they are racially intolerant.

My girlfriend has some triggers & she believes that others are not responsible for them. But she also believes that others are responsible if they intentionally try to trigger her.

I believe a "happy couple" should inspire one to seek that happiness.....rather than be a "trigger."

To envy success...is to preclude success for yourself.

There's too much political correctness in today's world. When will it ever stop?