I wonder.

[nehmet]

Are people these days all as oversensitive and easily butthurt IRL as they are on the internet? My personal experience has shown the very earnest and terminally victimized to be a merciful minority.

ETA: I'll add to this by sharing my response to an anonymous commenter, just so no one thinks I'm a completely insensitive dick:

This goes beyond common

Comments

[anonymous]

Yes, because common decency and courtesy = butthurt. Not wanting to be put into a position of helplessness again = butthurt. And victim shaming is terrific.

The world needs more people not caring about others' feelings.

[nehmet]

Anonymous comment, really?

And this goes beyond common decency, courtesy, and being cognizant of others' feelings. Offense is taken where none was intended, the offender apologizes for said offense, and then the apology is rejected as being insufficient; what good does that do anyone?

My point is simply this: life does not come with trigger warnings. Canon, in fandom, rarely comes with warnings (unless you spend a lot of time searching out sides and spoilers.) To this day I have trouble watching the Scully cancer-arc episodes of The X-Files, because I'm phobic of terminal illness and hate to see characters I love in pain. I haven't enjoyed much of season 6 of Bones because I don't like seeing characters experiencing emotional pain, particularly when it's the kind of pain I can relate to. I don't expect fanwriters to warn me in advance that those themes might be in their stories, however; I feel it's my responsibility as an adult reader to know my own boundaries, and if I find myself reading something I find uncomfortable, to

[epicurme]

As someone who both has triggers of sexual and non-sexual natures *and* is a creative writer, I find trigger warnings limiting. When I was writing and sharing on-line I did them out of courtesy, but I did also feel like I was degrading my work.

And you're right. There are no trigger warnings in canon.

When coming from a history of trauma, triggers are sadly just part of goes with it. One of my worst PTSD triggers are Doorbells and knocks on the door. Seriously... fucking doorbells, even on video games. And it is a real, and valid trigger that causes me distress. But the world is not going to stop ringing doorbells because it brings me flash bags of a very traumatic incident.

Writing is emotion. One that involves pain and trauma. Stories are empty without them. I'm a firm beleiver in Carthsis, and I have catharsis when I read of my own, similar traumas in fiction. Not that way for everyone, but it actually helps me process my own stuff. Other's mileage may vary.

[epicurme]

Flash bags! hahah... I need to wake up.