So What?

When I showed up to my first session of Voices of Discovery, I didn't even know what a microaggression is. I had picked this specific group simply because it fit into my schedule. I had no idea what I was getting into. On the first day we defined microaggressions as a conscious or unconscious action or dialogue that typically follows stereotypes. Often these are observed in our popular colloquialism. The reason that this is a topic is because sometimes these interactions can be offensive to some, yet inoffensive to others. Our discussions mainly revolved around why we thought they could be perceived as offensive and intentions. I took the side that as long as a person had good intentions, then their microagression could be forgivable. For instance, suppose a man were to catcall a woman with positive intentions. If she were to become offended and the man realized this and was sincere in his apology, I believe that this is a forgivable offense and that both could go on with their lives without foul. Positive intentions can lead to offense because of ignorance and unawareness of personal information of strangers. However it was widely discussed that ignorance is not an excuse. Relating to our class, microaggressions are most definitely rooted in popular culture. They often stem from phrases found in our vernacular. The reason that microaggressions exist at all is because they are, by definition, a popular thought. They are usually forms of social intercourse that our generation has deemed as socially acceptable; therefore, it is the outliers of our popular culture that are offended. In most cases, these microaggressions are not severe and result in only momentary offenses that soon escape the mind of both parties. So why does it even matter? If these interactions are popular and usually inoffensive to the masses, and if those that are temporarily distraught will soon have their fleeting abhorrence pass, why does it really matter? Revulsions of minute instance are hardly likely to ruin an entire day, especially if said occurrence was with a stranger that one would likely never see again. They leave no serious consequence. Are these ephemeral inflammations worth fleshing out, or could we simply look the other way and accept the discourtesy of our becoming society?