• Takumidesh@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    What about the word is offensive?

    Is it just as offensive as calling someone stupid, moronic, dumb, or an idiot?

    Is it that insulting someone’s intelligence is inherently offensive? Or is it just that it’s one of the most recent to become medically obsolete?

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zip
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      10 days ago

      It is much worse as it implies that they are disabled due to there extremely low intelligence. The word by itself isn’t bad but you shouldn’t call someone retarded.

      I believe it comes from the metal retardation diagnosis from 70 years ago or so.

      • ameancow@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        Not trying to be an ass here, just genuinely curious, the words “idiot” or “moron” or “imbecile” which were also in the same diagnostic tools as “retarded” so what makes them different?

        I have seen earnest attempts at starting movements to abolish these words as well, (and usually at that point a lot of people start tuning the conversation out,) so I’m wondering where people’s feelings are on the broader topic or if it’s the use of the singular word and how it’s used that bothers people the most.