What’s In a Name?

The Net’s all abuzz over Michael Richards comedy club tirade then subsequent apology on Letterman. While it’s certainly true that this kind of behavior is “uncalled for”, angry and purposefully mean-spirited, I don’t believe it is the bane of our existence like so many make it out to be.

Putting someone down by calling them a name is an attempt to make that other person feel worse about themselves, in the hope that the name-caller gets to feel better about their own person. If, for example, someone was to call me an “obese cow” while I’m actually not in the least bit overweight, how should I react to that? Even if they call me something that’s fitting, is it in my best interest to respond? Is that the optimum course of action?

Calling people derogatory names is a cheap, childish act but so many times people see it as a license. A license to be offended, to draw sympathy, to respond in anger themselves; an opportunity to escalate the conflict. It seems to me, that so many adult trials, when correlated to their schoolyard equivalence reveal some obvious behavior choices. What ever happened to:

Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.