It's important to be respectful of diverse identities. This means trying to use appropriate (e.g. PC) terms.

Fear of offending can compromise true human connection by fueling avoidance and anxious mannerisms.

AI might try to make you more PC, but it cannot navigate the nuances of understanding differences.

Avoiding assumptions, seeking feedback, and self-soothing will get you closer to genuine human connection.

In graduate school, I took a class that involved team-building activities. We were asked to name an animal that another student reminded us of. I told a female classmate that she reminded me of a fox. In the context of this playful exercise and our collegial relationship, I thought it would convey her cleverness and confidence.

Instead of being flattered, though, she scowled and shared that in her (South American) culture, calling a woman a fox is derogatory. I apologized, and she indicated that she hadn’t taken it personally.

Now, I teach courses about sensitive topics, like gender and racial discrimination, and how biases in the medical system can lead to poorer care for marginalized individuals, including people of color and sexual and gender minorities. I love the opportunity to share knowledge about diverse identities and how they affect health and well-being.

Choosing appropriate, politically correct (PC) language when describing diverse identities is important in this work, and, of course, what is considered PC changes over time and depends on the social, cultural, and political context.

This means that I’m often editing and revising my language. But in our deeply polarized nation, being PC can feel like a no-win situation – i.e., either you are “woke” or MAGA.

As a result, what I’ve found more challenging than correcting or........

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