Why do people play semantics and deflect in order to avoid controversial discussions and criticism of certain bigoted behaviors?

[Anonymous]

[Swollerbear]

They create an echo chamber where the words of familiarity bounce off the walls creating a weighted blanket of comfort and ignorant bliss. To challenge their views is to make them uncomfortable. To make them uncomfortable is to challenge their ego. They're emotionally charged, and unable to see their own reflection in the mirror at a certain point. They will deflect, divert, and manipulate the conversation in any way to restore their comfortable state of ignorance.

[goaded]

Because they know they're bigoted behaviours not supported by the majority of the population.

Were you thinking of something in particular?

[Asker]

No, just when people are called on their behavior, in fact when people are called out on homophobia or racism, they will say both those words have lost meanings or say they don't mean anything because said defendant wants to defend their bigotry rather than apologize and chance said bigoted behaviors.

[Asker]

For example, most people think that if they don't want gay people dead, they think they won't be called a homophobe for not supporting gay marriage or by calling being gay a lifestyle choice yet they think being straight is not a choice and yet when you grill them on how is it that being gay is a lifestyle choice and straight isn't, then all of a sudden said "peaceful" bigot is becoming less peaceful.

[goaded]

Just yesterday someone told me they thought the government should kill witches. And another bigot refuses to understand that his attitude to trans people is exactly the attitude bigots had towards homosexuals just a few decades ago.

[Asker]

Seriously, it's like it's always the same people chosing to be bigots, if they lose each cultural battle in the culture wars, they move onto the next group of people to oppress to make themselves feel better about themselves.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you can see it happening every day on here.

[Asker]

I know but I'm trying to figure out is why people engage in that behavior and refuse to change in order to not be bigoted, to me it takes more energy tobe hateful than tolerant.