10 Reasons for Protest

When hearing someone protest an alleged offense, it can help to determine if the person is:

1. Genuinely offended;


2. Not really offended but instead is trying to show that he or she is more virtuous than the alleged offender;


3. Feigning offense in order to gain an advantage;


4. A professional protester who makes a living from selective outrage;


5. An advocate who would argue as vehemently for the other side if employed by that side;


6. Genuine but hypersensitive and inclined to search high and low for offense;


7. Protesting simply because others are doing so;


8. A natural contrarian;


9. Trying to divert attention from another matter; or


10. Driven by bias more than by reason.