Nobody’s “associating” anything. Nobody who’s calling someone retarded has any thoughts in their head about people with the mental disorder. If you called them a downie, then you would probably have a point; as it’s specifically worded to relate to downs syndrome.
But “retard” has come to be an amplification of the word “idiot”. It’s like the words big, bigger, biggest.
It’s the “biggest” of “idiot”.
So if I’m gonna call someone an idiot, my levels of idiot are: Idiot, Dumb-ass, and Retard. I’m just calling them the word that corresponds to being a gargantuan idiot. You can’t use “gargantuan” because they don’t even know what the words mean; so you use retard.
Nobody who’s calling someone retarded has any thoughts in their head about people with the mental disorder.
Right, except for the part where that’s the literal definition of the word. The literal definition.
The people who were diagnosed as ‘retarded’ as children and adults are still alive. It’s living memory. You think they don’t have any thoughts in their head about mental disorders?
Right, because it was being used as a slur. They stopped using that word to define those conditions because it was being used as a slur. Thanks for the good faith argument.
They stopped using that word because it wasn’t descriptive. The same reason they stopped diagnosing women as “hysterical”. That’s the cool thing about the sciences; they evolve and change over time to be more descriptive, not less.
And now, we use the word hysterical to describe certain things…kinda cool how that works, right? When I call something hysterical (extremely funny) - people don’t get offended and say I’m using a slur.
Or when someone is losing their shit, you say they’re acting hysterical. It’s become a descriptor.
Why are we changing the term “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability”?
The term “intellectual disability” is gradually replacing the term “mental retardation” nationwide. Advocates for individuals with intellectual disability have rightfully asserted that the term “mental retardation” has negative connotations, has become offensive to many people, and often results in misunderstandings about the nature of the disorder and those who have it.
hey I have a question: how does everyone feel about “fucktard”? is that acceptable? it’s not a direct insult to persons with developmental disabilities, but it does have a fairly specific connotation that could be useful in certain situations, plus it throws out an F-bomb to emphasize your anger.
but if that’s too offensive for some folks I guess I can just keep using “fuckmouth”, if that’s easier on the ears.
Maybe try to come up with a more creative way to insult people than by using a slur?
This is the same logic behind saying the f-slur is okay if you’re not using it to describe gay people, you’re just using it to insult a straight person… by comparing them to gay people. See the problem?
I don’t understand how so many people fail to see what you’re saying and have downvoted your comment so much. I think it’s a lot of millennials (I’m one) who have funny memories growing up calling things retarded and gay and they’re just… unwilling to give it up now. It’s not that hard to use other words.
I agree. It’s all emotional and irrational. Even if you’re making a good point, you get downvoted because it’s an emotional response. Similarly, someone saying something stupid but in line with the general sentiment gets upvoted. Sucks to see it here.
if […] they did something stupid, I’m not gonna say “wow, that person’s a developmentally disabled!”
Thank you for illustrating the point. Those terms were chosen for a reason - so society would stop using diagnoses as perjoratives.
In other words, the entire reason we say “developmentally disabled” (or whatever the nom du jour is), is because people like you insist on associating developmental disabilities with bad things.
Even if you only use the word “retarded” as an insult, then you are still equating the group of people with the insult.
Again.
If the word “retard” is fine as an insult for you, than you consider intellectual disabilities to be worthy of insult.
You’re not just calling them less intelligent. You’re labelling them as a member of a group of vulnerable people. By doing so, you imply that being a member of that group is insulting. You imply that members of that group are worthy of insult.
Enjoy being edgy, I guess. It’s sad to see so many people are so easily swayed by the idea that empathy is weakness. It costs absolutely nothing to be considerate.
It has nothing to do with empathy. This is upper-class college white girl shit, where people get offended on behalf of a class they don’t belong to and which the people who they are offended on behalf of don’t really give a shit.
You pretend to be offended so you can signal to others that you are virtuous.
The easy, pointless, thought-terminating cliche against empathy. Well done.
“It’s just ivory tower liberalism wahhh nobody actually cares!”
You pretend to be offended so you can signal to others that you are virtuous.
See, this is the part where I get to stop being nice. This is childish, rude, and stupid. You are falling back to wildly presumptive insults because you cannot defend your behavior. It costs you absolutely fucking nothing to be considerate.
This is why I prefer “willful ignoramus” when I want to insult a person like Rogan.
These people aren’t just stupid, they’re choosing to be ignorant.
The real problem is the stigma attached (throughout modern history) to people with intellectual disabilities. Every new term eventually became a slur, because the same bigots who use slurs are also bullies.
“Intellectual disabilities” has a slim chance of avoiding this because it’s too long to say and too hard to spell.
Btw, “lame” and “blind” are examples of how it’s similar for all kinds of disabilities.
R****d fell out of favor probably close to 15 years ago at this point. Developmentally disabled/intellectual disability has replaced it.
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Right. You’re calling ‘that fucker’, ‘retarded.’ You see ‘a fucker’, and you decide to call them ‘a person with developmental challenges’.
You’re associating ‘people with developmental challenges’, with ‘fuckers’. Don’t.
Nobody’s “associating” anything. Nobody who’s calling someone retarded has any thoughts in their head about people with the mental disorder. If you called them a downie, then you would probably have a point; as it’s specifically worded to relate to downs syndrome.
But “retard” has come to be an amplification of the word “idiot”. It’s like the words big, bigger, biggest.
It’s the “biggest” of “idiot”.
So if I’m gonna call someone an idiot, my levels of idiot are: Idiot, Dumb-ass, and Retard. I’m just calling them the word that corresponds to being a gargantuan idiot. You can’t use “gargantuan” because they don’t even know what the words mean; so you use retard.
Right, except for the part where that’s the literal definition of the word. The literal definition.
The people who were diagnosed as ‘retarded’ as children and adults are still alive. It’s living memory. You think they don’t have any thoughts in their head about mental disorders?
“Retarded” isn’t a medical definition under IDC-11, so they aren’t retarded, as the medical definitions have changed.
Also Retarded has another standard definition – Being held back or stunted of which applies here.
Right, because it was being used as a slur. They stopped using that word to define those conditions because it was being used as a slur. Thanks for the good faith argument.
They stopped using that word because it wasn’t descriptive. The same reason they stopped diagnosing women as “hysterical”. That’s the cool thing about the sciences; they evolve and change over time to be more descriptive, not less.
And now, we use the word hysterical to describe certain things…kinda cool how that works, right? When I call something hysterical (extremely funny) - people don’t get offended and say I’m using a slur.
Or when someone is losing their shit, you say they’re acting hysterical. It’s become a descriptor.
Thanks for the totally good faith argument.
Hey hey hey, let’s not use incontinence as an insult my dude.
hey I have a question: how does everyone feel about “fucktard”? is that acceptable? it’s not a direct insult to persons with developmental disabilities, but it does have a fairly specific connotation that could be useful in certain situations, plus it throws out an F-bomb to emphasize your anger.
but if that’s too offensive for some folks I guess I can just keep using “fuckmouth”, if that’s easier on the ears.
I’m rolling dude! haha
Lmao, that’s a stretch.
Maybe try to come up with a more creative way to insult people than by using a slur?
This is the same logic behind saying the f-slur is okay if you’re not using it to describe gay people, you’re just using it to insult a straight person… by comparing them to gay people. See the problem?
No, because I’m not calling anybody a faggot.
Just so you know. (I’m guessing you weren’t removing it yourself for a joke.)
So you understand why it’s bad to use a slur that way?
I don’t understand how so many people fail to see what you’re saying and have downvoted your comment so much. I think it’s a lot of millennials (I’m one) who have funny memories growing up calling things retarded and gay and they’re just… unwilling to give it up now. It’s not that hard to use other words.
It’s honestly very disappointing to see this here on Lemmy. I’d expect this from Reddit, but I thought people here were better than this.
Yes. This place and this post in particular is in dire need of mod action.
I agree. It’s all emotional and irrational. Even if you’re making a good point, you get downvoted because it’s an emotional response. Similarly, someone saying something stupid but in line with the general sentiment gets upvoted. Sucks to see it here.
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Thank you for illustrating the point. Those terms were chosen for a reason - so society would stop using diagnoses as perjoratives.
In other words, the entire reason we say “developmentally disabled” (or whatever the nom du jour is), is because people like you insist on associating developmental disabilities with bad things.
Even if you only use the word “retarded” as an insult, then you are still equating the group of people with the insult.
Again.
If the word “retard” is fine as an insult for you, than you consider intellectual disabilities to be worthy of insult.
Can we still call people morons?
Yes.
That one stopped being used as a medical designation prior to people getting their panties in a twist about using medical designations as insults.
I don’t know about you, but calling someone less intelligent IS an insult. Doesn’t matter what you name it.
That’s the point of insults you know.
Thank you for confirming your meaning.
You’re not just calling them less intelligent. You’re labelling them as a member of a group of vulnerable people. By doing so, you imply that being a member of that group is insulting. You imply that members of that group are worthy of insult.
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Enjoy being edgy, I guess. It’s sad to see so many people are so easily swayed by the idea that empathy is weakness. It costs absolutely nothing to be considerate.
It has nothing to do with empathy. This is upper-class college white girl shit, where people get offended on behalf of a class they don’t belong to and which the people who they are offended on behalf of don’t really give a shit.
You pretend to be offended so you can signal to others that you are virtuous.
The easy, pointless, thought-terminating cliche against empathy. Well done.
“It’s just ivory tower liberalism wahhh nobody actually cares!”
See, this is the part where I get to stop being nice. This is childish, rude, and stupid. You are falling back to wildly presumptive insults because you cannot defend your behavior. It costs you absolutely fucking nothing to be considerate.
This is why I prefer “willful ignoramus” when I want to insult a person like Rogan. These people aren’t just stupid, they’re choosing to be ignorant.
The real problem is the stigma attached (throughout modern history) to people with intellectual disabilities. Every new term eventually became a slur, because the same bigots who use slurs are also bullies.
“Intellectual disabilities” has a slim chance of avoiding this because it’s too long to say and too hard to spell.
Btw, “lame” and “blind” are examples of how it’s similar for all kinds of disabilities.