[user104658]

Originally Posted by jet

What do you think of the theory that some people who are so easily offended on the behalf of minorities etc. aren't really offended for the group in question but relate to them because of their own feelings of anger, rejection, helplessness etc. Most people are not wired to get that emotionally involved in the woes of groups they don't belong to or know well, but very much wired to take care of their own negative feelings and emotions which they need an outlet to get relief from. These feelings and emotions are then projected onto others who they feel echo their own feelings of being marginalised.
It's like 'I'm fighting for them, for me." Yet they don't realise this; it's an escape mechanism.

It's an interesting concept and I would say certainly valid in cases where people find themselves getting genuinely "offended on behalf of" others, i.e. Really emotionally upset or angry about the issues being discussed. However, like I said I think it's possible to at least explore these issues and think about / empathise with others WITHOUT being emotionally involved. Surely it's possible to appreciate and want to support people who are upset by something, without getting upset at all oneself, or having it affect the rest of one's day in any way?

I would also say that if it is the case, and people's heavy emotional involvement with "offense" is in part down to projection, then surely that must apply both ways? There are people who get very emotionally wound up and certainly very angry on the flips idea of this, too... I guess in this case you could say "outraged on behalf of the festival organisers". It's sort of the same thing; the specifics of the case don't involve them in any way at all unless they are actually from that area or involved, and yet some people are incensed at the idea of it being "affected by PC" etc... So, might there be a similar element of projection there? People aren't actually annoyed by criticisms of the Zulu carnival, they might be projecting their own feelings of having their own expression shut down or invalidated, and be projecting it onto an event / event organisers that have nothing to do with them... Making it exactly the same "fighting for them for me" escape mechanism?