Hey Mykazuki,

I hope you won't take this the wrong way. This is in no way an accusation of anything. I know most people aren't aware of this, but since it matters to me, I decided to talk to you about it.

In one of your recent comment, you use the word "nuts" to talk about people that don't seem to have mental health issues.

I know a lot of people do that casually every day but, as someone with mental health issues, I find it hurtful to always see the word "nuts"/"crazy" associated with people behaving badly and who don't have any mental health issues.

I know it's too late for you to edit your comment now, but maybe you could raise a custom mod flag to ask them to do so?

Also, if you want to read more about the discrimination face by people with mental health issues, you can start here and there

lol it was a challenge to join this channel, not sure why it didnt let me type right away

I am confused by your statement, first and foremost It wasn't my intention to hurt you

now regarding the "nuts" word, I woudlnt call anyone with mental health issues a "nut". I think it would be mean, because it is like an umbrella term that means nothing. I also used it like "nuts", to convey that I wasnt actually talking about people that is sick, I meant it like you know those people that like to drive everyone around them crazy because they think they are right and complain in a way totally out of propertion, etc.

so I am not sure if you are saying you find it offensive because you have mental health issues, or you think using the word "nuts" in general is wrong because it references people with mental health issues.

and sorry for taking so long to answer, I have been busy with work.

Don't worry, I know you didn't intended to hurt anyone feeling and also, don't worry about answering "late", everyone has a life ^^

:) well as I was saying I wouldn't use the word "nuts" for someone that has mental health issues. Do people do that?

To clarify: I think only people that have mental health issue can use the word "nuts" to talk about themself (or the other people in their community). It's like, don't use the word "little girl" to insult someone, it's offensive for the real little girls (because there is nothing wrong in being a little girl). Or don't use "gay" as an insult toward straight people, it's not nice toward the people that are gay

Is my explanation clearer now?

well I see a couple of problems, words are not bad, people are. If a word shouldnt be used as an insult, it should never be, otherwise everyone should be able to use it as an insult.

like for example gay. I dont think you should call anyone gay as an insult, because I mean it just you are gay, like say you are a person. Now if you mean "you like people from your same sex" or so, I guess is alright. But anyone should be able to use that word

the other issue is that you assume I am healthy and have no mental issues.

also, I dont think "nuts" is a community. I mean I don't mind stopping to use it. But people are not "nuts" they have specific health problems. Now of course I am not native english speaker, so maybe in some areas they use "nuts" like a serious word meaning mental health. I never heard anyone using it that way.

I mean I have never heard anyone using that word meaning someone that was actually sick, they usually mean someone that is behaving irrational, so to say, you don't understand why they do what they do, but you don't actually think they are sick, otherwise, well, you would call a doctor.

so do people usually use "nuts" meaning people that are actually sick?

also no one should say "you are a little girl" like an insult. That would imply there is something wrong with being a little girl.

English isn't my mother tongue either but, as far as I know, "nuts" is a word use to describe people with mental health issues in a not nice way (like "crazy"). However, it is also often used as an insult. Like in "haha, you hear voices". Or "haha, you are paranoid"

@Dzyann I don't know how things are in your country, but in mine. If you want to insult someone by saying they are weak, you treat them of "woman". Like "haha, you run like a girl!"

well they do that everywhere I think. My point was that you should never use that as an insult. Like women shouldnt say it as an insult either

@Dzyann Definitively agree with that

what people do and what they should do is very different. As a general rule, you shouldnt use "Gay" as an insult or "you are a little girl".

and I dont think you should use the word "nuts" to talk about actual people with mental health issues :S

It can be empowering to use a slur to describe yourself. Like black people describing themselves as "Negro". However, white people shouldn't be allow to call a black person that, because it would be hurtful

it could be hurtful. Because it depends on what meaning you are giving the word. TO be honest I was always bothered by the idea that the word "negro" which btw just means "black" in spanish is some kind of insult. is like wth how is that an insult. But if the meaning of negro is an insult no one should be using it. In any case, I will refrain to use the word "nuts" in IPS.

But I don't agree in the connotation you give to the word, I wouldnt call a person with mental health issues a "nut" basically it is the first thing that hurts them, feeling they are crazy, they are not being irrational without justification, there is a illness that makes you think in the "Wrong" way.

if you dissect everything everyone is saying you could get offended by just about anything. The word "nuts" in my experience has many connotations. But as I said I am not native english speaker, so I dont use it with so many people. However every time I have seen it used, I have never seen it used referring to someone sick, matter of fact I think that would actually be an insult. That could trully be hurtful.

"Nut" is an insult, but since I have mental health issues, it's okay and accurate to call myself a "nut person". Because, when I am using the word to describe myself, then it's not an insult anymore. It's more like a challenge. Like saying "yes I'm nuts, so what?". By using the word myself, people who would want to insult me with it lose a part of their power. It's a reappropriation of a slur word

But anyway, if you don't mind, I will leave it at that for today. I had a long day and it's time for me to rest a little

sure, take care

You too :)

I'd just like to hop in real quick--I agree with most of your conversation here. But regarding "nut" in English specifically, (in my experience) it doesn't really carry a "loony" connotation anymore. We even say things like "That was nutty!" to indicate that something was unexpected or "wild." You wouldn't really say someone is a "nut person" (though they may be a tough nut--which means something else entirely)

Looks like I was just a few minutes too late, too :p

well that is my experience with the word, really more in the "positive" side. Except I dont know, when the person is angry. But even then you wouldn't call "nut" someone that had actually an illness.

however it could be that in certain areas they do use that word that way.

I think it's a historical thing-- it used to be a very common euphemism, and was not a nice one

I mean a very common use of the word is "i am nuts about xxx". And you see all the time in movies meaning something more like "you are whimsical". I was just trying to be funny when I used that word, I felt it was less offensive than saying, I don't know "irrational"

And even now when people use nut in this way, it tends to be used like "this is outside the bounds of sanity and rationality"

I do wonder where it comes from, saying "nut" to mean "crazy".

I feel like a lot of current usages of nut still relate back to fundamental rationality and normality of mind. Even if it's softened a ton today compared with the 1950s, I think it's still got those echoes

I personally have never minded it, but I can appreciate why/that some people do

but you never actually mean someone sick. You mean someone not sick that is acting "outside the bounds of sanity and rationality". I wouldnt call someone, with lets say, schizophrenia, a nut. But I think, it really depends a lot on the context, who is saying it. And I feel maybe some very awful people has called Aelis a nut like an insult, and that is not nice.

In 1952, in the U.S., that's absolutely the way that it was used

A person with a mental illness was a "nut", and the adjective to describe them was "nuts"

And then it became a more casual insult, accusing someone of mental capacity/operation so far from normal that it was as if they were a "crazy person"

I agree with scohe001 that that usage has decreased a lot

and why do the use the word "nut", like "nut" is something you eat. Dont know how that got to be someone with mental health issues

I don't know either. All words are fundamentally made up, and all of their connections to real things or ideas are also arbitrary

It became a common usage at some point, whatever the path it took to get there, and it's definitely still a dictionary-listed definition (I don't remember if it's marked as archaic or antiquated or not, but I would doubt it)

well but they do have a reason, like Bizzarre has exact oppositve meaning in Spanish than in English. IN Spanish means brave, and well in english is something a bit crazy

I don't understand-- it's the second definition under what you posted

yup, after talking with AELis I was checking the definitions

Right, so that's good evidence that that is still a usage of the word today

It's listed as a definition, and not an outdated one. Whatever the history of the word, enough people used it that way that the dictionary now lists that as a usage

I think I understand. But you're mistaken, or your experience just hasn't covered that situation. I have absolutely, 100% heard people refer to mentally ill people as nuts, or described arbitrary people as nuts (implying mental illness) as an insult

Again, that usage seems to be getting less and less common. It doesn't mean whimsical, though the usage does seem to be getting more playful, and the historical use of the word (in this way) was not nice

yes this "I have absolutely, 100% heard people refer to mentally ill people as nuts" never happened to me. That is why I was saying that to AElis. NOw as general rule, I really odnt talk with so many people in English as to say I have a significant sample of the usage of the word.

Yeah, other uses are more common these days (which is good)

yes i always heard it in that playful meaning, kinda way. That is why when AElis was telling me I thought maybe I should check the dictionary xD

well in any case it is good to know that a lot people actually interpret such a heavy handed meaning on that word, so I should be careful when I use it. Like I said I am certainly not going to use it in IPS again.

Some people are more sensitive to it than others. Like I said, I've never minded it, but it obviously bothers many people. I also think it's here to stay, and maybe will feel more innocent to more people when the use of nut is even further removed from insulting people

It's tough to keep up with what may or may not bother others. But cheers from me for making the effort, I really think it makes IPS a better place

yes I think that is probably going to happen with time, like for real all the exposition I have had to that word, not once I thought someone would call someone with mental health issues a nut, it seems weird to me.

and if someone would ever say such a thing to someone that had mental health issues in my presence, well they would have to deal with me XD I dont like bullies.

thanks everyone for your input!

i think the problem stemmed from me thinking of myself as nuts, so I sort of say it with a certain level of fondness.