Inflammatory language

Inflammatory language is language that isn't dry or neutral in tone. This can include single words, phrases, names, or various discourse strategies. Whereas a textbook would be non-inflammatory because its factual and dry nature wouldn't offend, inflammatory language often intentionally provokes a reaction from the reader by use of strong rhetoric or controversial opinions. It can be used a euphemism for hate speech, but this isn't necessarily so.

Name-calling is one of the crudest and most obvious forms, as it can directly attack or insult the reader. More subtle types are virtually undetectable to People outside the conflict.

Examples

Examples of inflammatory language are:

• Yelling "fire!" in a crowded movie theater.
• Yelling "pork!" in a crowded mosque.
• Yelling "AIDS!" in a crowded bathhouse.
• Yelling "free beer!" in a crowded AA meeting.
• Yelling "science!" in a crowded intelligent design conference.
• Yelling "Richard Dawkins!" in a crowded Christian fundamentalist meeting.
• Yelling "Immigration!" in a Texas bar.
• Typing "Anything critical of Andrew Schlafly" in Conservapedia.

External links

• inflammatory "tending to excite anger, disorder or tumult, SEDITIOUS"

Adapted from RationalWiki