I’m sick of the word “safe” being overused.

I’ve noticed a huge trend over the last year or so to water down the word “safe.”

To be clear, safe == comfortable

“Feeling safe” is not a magical get out of jail free card every time you want to avoid a tough situation or, worse, guilt others into letting you get your way.

I agree a functional society should keep its members safe - as in they shouldn’t be hit, mugged, stabbed, assaulted, kidnapped, etc. But that is IN NO WAY the same thing as having to endure, for example, a tough customer at work or a relative you don’t see eye to eye with.

Saying you “don’t feel safe” when you’re really just a little uncomfortable detracts from the impact “feeling safe” has. And that’s a disservice to people who are in ACTUAL unsafe circumstances, like say victims of domestic abuse.

When somebody like that says they don’t feel safe, I want all kinds of alarm bells to go off. But every time some moron talks about “not feeling safe” because a boss criticized their work (or whatever), those alarm bells get a little quieter.

So knock it off. Your need for sympathy is duly noted. But unless you’re at risk for some kind of actual harm, you’re safe.