Acceptable Targets

The hated…

By Snarky LisaPublished 7 months ago • 3 min read

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In life, there are people that just aren’t liked by several others. Whether they’re bad or good, dumb or smart, or deserve it or not, the fact remains that their approval ratings in certain circles aren’t too bright.

Some of these people manage to maintain having the begrudging tolerance of their peers. Others, not so much. When the latter happens, one ends up getting the acceptable target.

The acceptable target isn’t just disliked or hated. They are actively not considered as worthy of normal respect as everyone else. When it comes to treating them, basic decency can freely go out the window — their thoughts and feelings be damned. If they object to the way their rivals treat them? Too bad for them. It’s not like they don’t deserve it, right?

In practice, acceptable targets can come in all shapes and sizes — as well as personalities, of course. There isn’t a specific type of person who is automatically doomed to become one no matter what.

That being said: some sets of people may be more likely to be targeted than others. How does one go about dealing with them?

Please note that I am not licensed in psychology or sociology. This article is not a substitute for professional help.

Persecuted Groups

We as a society have made several positive strides in the past few decades when it comes to improving tolerance and equity among different kinds of people. Human rights laws have been made, workplace protections have been created, and people are often more accepting of differences today than they might’ve been several years ago.

Unfortunately, the above paragraph does not mean that bigotry is all gone. As much as many of us wish it didn’t happen, it is very much still a thing. Whether in the form of racism, sexism, queerphobia, ableism, classism, or some mix of the five, plenty of people on this planet still harbour negative prejudices towards marginalized groups.

In some places, bigotry goes so far that the people affected by it end up being officially persecuted. These are varied — including laws that criminalize LGBT+ expression, legislation restricting certain religions, sexist rules targeting women and AFAB people, and more. Many in societies under these laws aren’t too accepting of whoever’s targeted by them either.

Dealing with the existence of active persecution can be complicated. The systems enforcing it are frequently deeply entrenched, and they’re not going to be easily changed in a day. However, activism may have an effect — depending on how severe the people in power are, of course.

In the end, though, one’s safety needs to be taken into consideration as well. But don’t try to sell out someone marginalized to the authorities for their identity, of course.

Bad People

Let’s face it: not everyone that’s hated by a large group of people is an innocent underdog. Oftentimes, there are very valid reasons the loathing exists.

These acceptable targets, in society’s eyes, aren’t just petty criminals like grocery shoplifters or chronic overspeeders in the countryside. They’re actively malicious. They will happily hurt others without a care in the world. Justice and peace? Those concepts are either warped or nothing to them.

When it comes to these types of people, one has two main ethical options: confront or ignore. In some situations, confrontation may help with catharsis and/or trying to reason with them. That being said, it might also embolden them to act worse if they take your actions out of context. If so, just leave them to stew in their own metaphorical rot.

The Wrongly Accused

There are some people out there who seem like they’re part of the second category in my article. Except…they’re not. Unfortunately for them, they’ve been set up by someone else.

How one deals with this type of scenario will vary depending on the specific circumstances. If they state that they don’t want to be dragged into controversy, respect that and leave them alone.

However, if they clearly wish to clear their names: stand up for them as much as one can. Help them gather evidence, if necessary, and spread the word. Now, those in powerful positions with more malicious intentions may attempt to trample on these efforts. Once again, safety also needs to be considered.

But without any action: nothing will change.

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Acceptable targets can be part of a complex conversation.

Any other thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments!