Using ableist language as insults is always bad, even if the words seem innocuous. Some may reference the “euphemism treadmill” to try to justify their behavior, but it’s crucial to understand that the treadmill is merely a linguistic observation. It does not exist to normalize ableist behavior.
what is the euphemism treadmill for those who dont want to google
There are limited examples of this effect working in reverse. Take the word “Nice” for example. Nice back in ye old medieval times used to be a synonym for “stupid” or “simple” so saying someone was “nice” was insulting. Then there was this prolonged long fad where things being very plain and straightforward was considered a good thing and “Nice/simple” gained a positive connotation. Saying someone is “simple” or a “simpleton” retains this original sort of vibe but “Nice” now just means pleasant.
Who are you to tell me which words I can and cannot use? You can judge my intent, not my vocabulary. Im asking for permission to smoke and swear.
Can’t wait till neurodivergent becomes the new slur and we invent a new word to describe it so people use that instead of a slur which then becomes the new slur so we invent another new word to describe it so people use that instead of a slur which then …
i hope instead the cycle could be broken in some way. :/ other folks in the thread are pointing out that ND is a term created by its own community, which could add to its resilience. i hope they are right!
Just about any term that refers to someone else can be used as an insult!
So as the old saying goes “offense is taken, not given”. If you want to be insulted, you will be.
I find, people who insult others are saying more about their own character, than that of the target.
You would think that, you pencil…
Idiot is ableist?
it isn’t necessarily, unless it’s used with ableist intent. good explanation someone made
du hast doch lack gesoffen “idiot”, “neurodivergent” & “lame” als abelism zu bezeichnen.
was so angry/disappointed in that post that i couldn’t get the message across with English.
That’s angry. (0o0)
eh angry doesn’t fit how i felt. upset maybe? anyway i could only bring across my emotion via german
… would you like to walk away from Omelas…?
i get the reference but not how it applies here
how is special needs ableist?
it’s not, unless there is intent. i see draconic left a great reaponse to you so i will give that my seal of approval instead of rewriting.
Anything is ableist if that’s the intention is to be ableist. “Cognitive impairment” or “Brain damage” are clinical terms, but if one decides they can also be ableist insults.
seeing as ableist terms are always rooted in previously uncontroversial medical terms i propose the term “the swag ones”
just got diagnosed with cool guy syndrom so now i take… adderall
Idk man, a good chunk of these are just sorta not that associated with their origins anymore. A lot of insults are historically demeaning towards certain groups (especially poor people).
as always, act everything considering the window of present you are in. “idiot” means a lot less offense today than it did back in the day.
I agree. “idiot-proof” is a common term in the design industry and it’s somewhat synonymous with accessibility, fault tolerance, and resilience.
Reasonable.
I’ve been thinking about how we call people “right-handed” and “left-handed” instead of “handedness-typical” and “handedness-divergent”
sinister used to just mean left handed!
Didn’t know that one, it’s a nice one.
actually GOATED INSIGHT my friend keep it up
Also, “brave”
never thought of it that way, but yeah, lowkey! though it’s definitely in a different class of “insult” when compared to the ones in OP. more passive agression, snide rather than forced.
Shouldn’t this, then, extend to all implications of stupidity in behavior, not just individual words?
Good thought, because yes, this rule applies to a lot of behaviors—insulting someone’s actions or reasoning can sometimes carry ableist implications if we’re not careful. But no, it doesn’t mean all implications of foolishness are inherently ableist. It’s entirely possible to critique someone’s choices, reasoning, or behavior without tying it to assumptions about intelligence or ability. The key is focusing on what they did or said rather than who they are.
For example: “I see you’ve chosen confidence over accuracy again.” This critiques someone’s approach or behavior—being overly confident while wrong—without targeting their intelligence or abilities.
I see you’ve chosen confidence over accuracy again
This is honestly a great way of calling someone stupid, but you do realise that it can be very offensive to people with narcissistic personality disorder, right?
Joke aside, what is really stupid about this is the idea of “insulting someone without hurting there feelings”, or as you wrote
insulting someone’s actions or reasoning can sometimes carry ableist implications if we’re not careful.
When honestly insulting someone, there is typically an intent to be hurtful, the idea that you should be careful to “not use language that can offend X group” when doing so, kind of overlooks the whole situation of “insulting” going on
I wrote that sentence you quoted carefully. I did not use the phrase “hurt feelings” intentionally because it’s not what I meant.
I meant “carry ableist impressions,” so I wrote “carry ableist impressions.” Hurting feelings is not a sin. Contributing to a system of ableism that precipitates in mistreatment and curtailed rights for disabled people? Is a category of oppressive behavior.
I will thank you to interrogate my position for what I actually said rather than what you assume I said in the future.
Is it permissible, conversely, to describe things as smart, in a positive sense?
Furthermore, doesn’t choosing confidence over accuracy itself imply that reduced accuracy is a bad thing, despite it being something that people with reduced intellectual capacity cannot reasonably avoid?
I can’t think of examples right now, but it’s definitely possible to describe something as “smart” in a way that’s ableist—like if it ties someone’s value only to intelligence or reinforces stereotypes about who’s considered “smart.” However, I’m sure the vast majority of ways to describe something as “smart” wouldn’t really be considered ableist and so are “permissible” in my book.
How so? Isn’t necessarily acknowledging intelligence as a positive quality imply lack of it is a negative one?
Ah, we have a difference in terms here.
Acknowledging intelligence as a positive quality
is never ableist.
Acknowledging intelligence as a
positivequalitycan be ableist, depending on what values are being cast.
It’s about how intelligence is framed in relation to others and whether it’s used to dismiss people who might not fit those standards.
Ah, we have a difference in terms here.
Acknowledging intelligence as a positive quality
is never ableist.
Acknowledging intelligence as a
positivequalitycan be ableist, depending on what values are being cast.
I don’t understand what you’re saying here. Acknowledging intelligence as a positive quality is acknowledging intelligence as a quality.
It’s about how intelligence is framed in relation to others and whether it’s used to dismiss people who might not fit those standards.
So it’s your opinion that the upholding of standards that cannot be met by some individuals by inherent lack of capacity is unacceptable?
Acknowledging intelligence as a positive quality is acknowledging intelligence as a quality.
Here’s an example where it’s not: “Of course you got in, you [are(n’t) Asian/were in the gifted program/have ASD].”
These examples are rare bifecta of ✅ acknowledging intelligence as a positive quality ✅ casting value judgement on those who do or do not fit that quality
today i learned that ‘cretin’ has ableist origins. just hearing the word, and being completely unaware of its origins, i assumed it had racist origins and was somehow related to the isle of crete.
apparently ‘cretinism’ is an old-timey word for congenital iodine deficiency syndrome.
okay wow TIL too! i was just pulling from memory and a few online examples but i never dove into the specific histories of that particular word!
Tone policing won’t fix that some people predictably make fucking terrible decisions, for no sensible reason, and we need to deal with that and warn others about it.
Which is why the real solution is for every forum to fuck off with enforced civility and let people call each other assholes. Some of them will deserve it. Moderation exists primarily to make that call. You’re not just a filter for no-no words. You’re a human being and you’re expected to have an opinion.
