> From: Ajit Sinha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [PEN-L:12401] Re: slurs > Let me add one thing here. The problem here could be cultural as well. I > hope I'm not condemning all Indians of impolitness, but it is true that > Indians argue among friends with a lot of passion and not much concern for > politness. But heated philosophical and political arguments usually do not > affect personal relationships and friendships. In West, I have noticed that > people attach their ego a bit too closely with the ideas they are arguing > for. So i need to be more sensitive about that. Cheers, ajit sinha Without getting into the substance of the thread on language or the specific words beween others on this list, which I have archived for future deep consideration, I'd like to second this point about differing cultural norms of politeness, particularly relevant to e-mail. Around my Jewish parents' dinner table in the Jersey suburbs of NYC, "you're nuts" had about the same rhetorical temperature reading as "please pass the salt," but a visitor of ours from the Midwest took great umbrage to such remarks. She was nuts, but that was not why we divorced years later. MBS =================================================== Max B. Sawicky Economic Policy Institute [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1660 L Street, NW 202-775-8810 (voice) Ste. 1200 202-775-0819 (fax) Washington, DC 20036 http://tap.epn.org/sawicky Opinions above do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone associated with the Economic Policy Institute other than this writer. ===================================================
