It has everything to do with “mentally handicapped” people. The word “retarded”, used as an insult, derived from the term “mental retardation”, which was previously the actual clinical and legal term for a person with what we now refer to as “intellectual disability”. The use of “retarded” as a slur/insult is the whole reason why the clinical term was changed. It had come to be seen as derogatory and ableist even when used in a clinical context.
Source: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The term “mental retardation” was used through the fourth edition, which was last revised in the year 2000. It lasted until the 5th edition, which wasn’t published until 2013. Various organizations/agencies changed their terminology prior.
Fwiw, I’m a licensed clinician and I have diagnosed people with intellectual disabilities. I understand your perspective on the word, and I even shared a similar opinion until I learned how it has been used as a slur toward people who do have intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. Because of learning that, I now don’t use it as an insult. We do better when we know better.
This my friends is a distinction without a difference. Dude really implied that being “delayed”, as in developmentally delayed, has nothing to do with the handicapped. Astounding.
There is a difference. Morons that we call retarded are that way because they choose to be. They aren’t mentally handicapped. Mentally handicapped people don’t choose to be mentally handicapped. Which one are you?
Mentally handicapped people don’t choose to be mentally handicapped. Which one are you?
Yes, I choose to be mentally handicapped right? And somehow this is not disparaging against the mentally handicapped? Like do you understand what your argument is? I’ve seen LLMs with more awareness.
Take your pick — There’s a whole world of insults that don’t involve punching down at marginalised groups. I realise that may sound hyperbolic, but I say it because I’m someone who is sometimes the recipient of that slur, and it’s jarring to see it in spaces like this. I know that in this case, it wasn’t at me, but a key part of why insults like this carry weight is because of the comparison it makes to people like me (even if only implicitly).
My hope is that we might be more creative with our insults when solidarity is our best weapon against these assholes
That being said, most people don’t know how to throw a punch. To the degree that many people need to be told not to hold their thumbs in their fist. They aren’t concerned with the collateral damage, to themselves or otherwise - they’re just throwing the punch.
I’m not saying it’s right, but this is the reality. These people have never been trained to recognize the value of articulating themselves correctly, or maybe they have but they’ve been in the monkey pit for so long that they just learned how to fling shit as a defense mechanism.
I don’t think you’re wrong in advocating for the abolishment of certain words, or rather the uses of those words. I do think you’re pissin in the wind, though.
You may be right, but hope has gotten me much farther than defeatism has. And I’ve never been clinging so desperately to hope as now, when the US is being governed by such abominable lickspittles. (I confess that my previous comment about creativity in insults caused me to be a bit extra here).
Besides, I’ve had plenty of times when I’ve been foolish and saying things that I didn’t realise were harmful. Humans are incredibly easily swayed by group norms, and this is often for the worse. However, I’ve found that there can be a huge impact from people saying “hey, not cool”. I don’t have to be someone who changes any minds, just someone who can feel like they tried, regardless of if the tides change in the direction I’m pushing.
Plus, you’d actually be surprised at how many times I’ve had productive conversations on Lemmy from engaging earnestly with someone being aggressive. One of the reasons I like hanging out here is that I feel much more like I’m talking to people, in part because of how much more I see people apologising or being mature in dicey conversations. I certainly wouldn’t say that I have good results every time, but it’s often enough that it’s a key part of what I enjoy on this platform. Especially because I have enjoyed this wee conversation that you and I have had, independent of the person I was originally speaking to — you also count as one of the 'surprisingly pleasant" interactions that spring forth from challenging someone (especially as your first comment made me expect you to be far more adversarial than you have been).
Literal, actual retards are running the show now.
Placed there by literal, actual retarded Americans.
Wild that our country became so pathetic.
It would be great if you could avoid using ableist slurs to refer to people you don’t like
It’s not a slur as much as it’s a definition. To be retarded means delayed or slow. It has nothing to do with mentally handicapped people.
It has everything to do with “mentally handicapped” people. The word “retarded”, used as an insult, derived from the term “mental retardation”, which was previously the actual clinical and legal term for a person with what we now refer to as “intellectual disability”. The use of “retarded” as a slur/insult is the whole reason why the clinical term was changed. It had come to be seen as derogatory and ableist even when used in a clinical context.
Source: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The term “mental retardation” was used through the fourth edition, which was last revised in the year 2000. It lasted until the 5th edition, which wasn’t published until 2013. Various organizations/agencies changed their terminology prior.
Fwiw, I’m a licensed clinician and I have diagnosed people with intellectual disabilities. I understand your perspective on the word, and I even shared a similar opinion until I learned how it has been used as a slur toward people who do have intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. Because of learning that, I now don’t use it as an insult. We do better when we know better.
This my friends is a distinction without a difference. Dude really implied that being “delayed”, as in developmentally delayed, has nothing to do with the handicapped. Astounding.
There is a difference. Morons that we call retarded are that way because they choose to be. They aren’t mentally handicapped. Mentally handicapped people don’t choose to be mentally handicapped. Which one are you?
Yes, I choose to be mentally handicapped right? And somehow this is not disparaging against the mentally handicapped? Like do you understand what your argument is? I’ve seen LLMs with more awareness.
You’re retarded. Gotcha.
How else should you describe them?
Take your pick — There’s a whole world of insults that don’t involve punching down at marginalised groups. I realise that may sound hyperbolic, but I say it because I’m someone who is sometimes the recipient of that slur, and it’s jarring to see it in spaces like this. I know that in this case, it wasn’t at me, but a key part of why insults like this carry weight is because of the comparison it makes to people like me (even if only implicitly).
My hope is that we might be more creative with our insults when solidarity is our best weapon against these assholes
I understand what you’re saying, and I agree.
That being said, most people don’t know how to throw a punch. To the degree that many people need to be told not to hold their thumbs in their fist. They aren’t concerned with the collateral damage, to themselves or otherwise - they’re just throwing the punch.
I’m not saying it’s right, but this is the reality. These people have never been trained to recognize the value of articulating themselves correctly, or maybe they have but they’ve been in the monkey pit for so long that they just learned how to fling shit as a defense mechanism.
I don’t think you’re wrong in advocating for the abolishment of certain words, or rather the uses of those words. I do think you’re pissin in the wind, though.
You may be right, but hope has gotten me much farther than defeatism has. And I’ve never been clinging so desperately to hope as now, when the US is being governed by such abominable lickspittles. (I confess that my previous comment about creativity in insults caused me to be a bit extra here).
Besides, I’ve had plenty of times when I’ve been foolish and saying things that I didn’t realise were harmful. Humans are incredibly easily swayed by group norms, and this is often for the worse. However, I’ve found that there can be a huge impact from people saying “hey, not cool”. I don’t have to be someone who changes any minds, just someone who can feel like they tried, regardless of if the tides change in the direction I’m pushing.
Plus, you’d actually be surprised at how many times I’ve had productive conversations on Lemmy from engaging earnestly with someone being aggressive. One of the reasons I like hanging out here is that I feel much more like I’m talking to people, in part because of how much more I see people apologising or being mature in dicey conversations. I certainly wouldn’t say that I have good results every time, but it’s often enough that it’s a key part of what I enjoy on this platform. Especially because I have enjoyed this wee conversation that you and I have had, independent of the person I was originally speaking to — you also count as one of the 'surprisingly pleasant" interactions that spring forth from challenging someone (especially as your first comment made me expect you to be far more adversarial than you have been).
Small wins, but I’ll take them