As discussed in chapter 7 of Culture Trumps Everything, a shared common language builds upon and reinforces fundamental elements of a culture. Language is the sharing of specific sounds so our words to convey a specific meaning, construct, or complex concept. A shared common language is part of what can both unite us and/or divide us.
Case in point: The term “Political Correctness.”
As a broad based definition (if we can agree on one), being politically correct represents the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend another particular group of people.
From this common understanding there seems to have arisen two different concepts and applications of the term political correctness or being politically correct. The most common usage and application seems to be the concept that people who are politically correct “don’t say what they mean,” or “are weak” because “they don’t have the strength so say things as they are.” These beliefs become evident in the behaviors and statements that arise from these beliefs. If you listen closely to public figures, there is a large swath of people who will make statements like, “We don’t have time to be politically correct.” Or people who worry about being politically correct are “stupid” or “pathetic” or “weak” because “they don’t say it like it is.” In this view, being politically correct is about concealing, obfuscating, or avoiding the truth as it is, in order to appease another (some might say any other) group of people. This is one view of the world.
When you change the way you see the world, the worlds you see changes.
What if there is an alternate view? What if, using the same definition above, political correctness means taking the time, effort, and energy to display empathy to people who are part of another group? What if political correctness means taking ordinary steps to try to relate to members of a group, culture, or subculture which is not our own? What if political correctness means removing obstacles in our language which serve to divide us rather than unite us – to leverage our primary human drives to connect and belong?
If you can consider this alternate view, if you can consider that political correctness is not about not speaking the truth or not saying things “as they are,” and you can consider the concept as one that tries to unite rather than divide, then you might be able to consider that being politically correct means speaking the truth in a way that people from another group can hear.
You see… we have a choice. Using the same definition for a term or concept (such as political correctness), based on what we believe, we can behave in ways that are quite divergent. We choose to behave in ways that unite us or divide us. The choice is ultimately our own, and ultimately defines the culture we create for ourselves and inhabit.
Keep cultivating your culture!