The Rudeness Behind a Noble Mask: When "Empowerment," "Activism," and "Authenticity" Become Excuses for Contempt

We live in an era where certain forms of verbal aggression dress in the robes of virtue. Rudeness, direct insults, or subtle humiliation find refuge in seemingly impeccable concepts: empowerment (delivering "hard truths" to "strengthen"), activism (attacking the "oppressor" or the "ignorant"), and radical sincerity ("being unfiltered and authentic"). This mask not only disguises linguistic violence but amplifies and socially justifies it.

Corrupted Parrhesia: The Modern Cynic’s Discourse

Foucault analyzed parrhesia: the courage to speak truth for the greater good, even at personal risk—an ethical act aimed at improving others or the community. Masked rudeness perverts this: it appropriates the rhetoric of "necessary truth" while stripping away its ethical and caring dimension. This "courage" aims not to dialogue or listen, but to wound. Such discursive bravado resembles cynicism pushed to its most destructive extreme, yet devoid of its original purpose to challenge fundamental hypocrisies. Modern "cynical reason" acknowledges certain discourses as cruel or reductive yet deploys them anyway, justified by supposed moral superiority or pragmatism. Disguised rudeness operates similarly: we recognize it as crude but excuse it for serving "our cause" or expressing "raw authenticity." It’s cynicism stripped of critical purpose—reduced to pure aggression or self-affirmation at others’ expense.

The Economy of Contempt Serving Symbolic Capital

Pierre Bourdieu revealed language as a battlefield for symbolic capital (prestige, authority, recognition). Masked rudeness is a potent tactic in this perverse economy. By attacking others under banners like empowerment or activism, aggressors accumulate symbolic capital within their reference group. They position themselves as the "brave truth-teller," the "uncompromising warrior" against "enemies," or the "authentic" free of hypocrisy. On social media, this amplifies: "righteous" insults garner likes, followers, and tribal belonging. The mask of nobility (activism, sincerity) sanitizes the attack, allowing aggressors to avoid the stigma of gratuitous insults—even winning applause from their own ranks.

Aggressive Drive Masked as Virtue

"Justified" rudeness can channel a particular form of enjoyment: a libidinal satisfaction derived from aggressive discharge, humiliating others, exercising symbolic power, and violating norms of civility. The empowerment/activism mask grants access to this transgressive enjoyment without conscious guilt, framing it within socially valued discourse. It embodies the humiliation in many forms of the other: deriving pleasure from the pain, anger, or discomfort inflicted on others.

"Always speak your mind, no matter who it hurts—that’s empowerment."

"If you’re not brutally critical, you’re not a real activist."

These imperatives demand repetition. The subject becomes trapped in a cycle of verbal aggression, justified by a distorted personal law insisting this is necessary to "be authentic," "effective," or to channel the aggressive impulses of their identity group.

The Cost of the Noble-Virtue Mask

Recognizing disguised rudeness isn’t condemning genuine empowerment, necessary activism, or valuable sincerity. It’s distinguishing content from tone and intent. True empowerment builds rather than destroys. Effective activism persuades and transforms structures rather than merely humiliating opponents. Authentic sincerity can be firm while considering its impact and seeking common ground.

Beneath this mask of virtuous rudeness:

Dialogue erodes; every debate becomes war.

Others are symbolically annihilated.

Noble causes are trivialized by gratuitous aggression, alienating potential allies.

Social bonds are poisoned.

Verbal cruelty and contempt are normalized, yet the illusion persists that "no one saves themselves alone" (a phrase revived by the recent success of El Eternauta [Argentinian serie playing on Netflix). The question becomes: Who belongs, and who doesn’t? Rudeness diligently determines boundaries—not just against ideological opponents but within one’s own ranks.

Unmasking Requires Ethical Vigilance

Exposing this disguised rudeness demands constant ethical questioning:

Is our "empowerment" truly constructive, or merely destructive?

Does our "activism" seek justice, or symbolic vengeance?

Is our "sincerity" authenticity, or a license for aggressive enjoyment?

The challenge transcends mere condemnation of rudeness. It demands the courage to exit this reactive cycle—to transcend tribal echo chambers and reclaim discourse grounded in true solidarity.