Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Umbrage for those without

At times, I may feel that you "make" me angry.  Current practice usually urges me to rearrange my thoughts to reflect that fact that my anger is mine, not yours.  We all admit that if you take my money or my book, I may get angry and want them back.  You can design and commit acts that are likely to offend or stimulate me, pushing me into the anger part of the emotional territories.  We all admit you can probably do that if you want.  However, if you are sick or drunk or otherwise "not your (usual) self", some acts might not make me angry.


There have been few times when I ever found the word "umbrage" used.  I think all of them were related to "taking", as in "I hope he doesn't take umbrage at my reaction to his joke".  Taking umbrage is just about the same as taking offense.  It is interesting that taking offense or taking umbrage are both "taking", my action.  In just a bit of a second, some part of my brain instantly calculates that an action or a remark is a threat or a challenge or an insult.  The brain part gives me a jolt to retaliate, defend, react.  If I don't hear your remark or see your action, I won't be upset.  If I don't understand what you said or I have asked you to say something or you speak in a language I don't know, I may not take umbrage at all.


I don't think the world is in danger of an umbrage shortage.  I have heard that it is more blessed to give than to receive so giving umbrage, especially to those who have little, might be the thing to do, rather than to take it.  Since this is a word that I don't hear much, I looked up its derivation.  It comes from French and Latin and relates to "being in the shade."  One of the most basic things about humans is their tendency to instantly evaluate everything they notice, externally or internally, as to its basic okness or not-okness.  In a very preliminary way, I am either in the sunlight or in the shade about each thought and perception.




--
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety

Twitter: @olderkirby

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