I often think we're getting offended by maybe not 'the wrong things' but definitely quite often by things that cannot be changed quickly, if at all. There's a lot of demanding instant change of human nature, which just doesn't happen in reality. Then there are people who seem to hunt for offence in everything and it becomes a 'Boy Who Cried Wolf' situation, hurting the very cause they're fighting for.

Personally, if someone uses the word 'microaggressions' sincerely I take whatever else they say with several grains of salt.

Ironically, I see more people offended here than on my Facebook page. And I have some crazy-ass friends.

I think we're living in a time where we need to be 'right' all of the time, and if someone disagrees, it's because they're bigoted, hateful, stupid, ill-informed... I've read a lot of books by smart people, and whether or not I understood them they had one thing in common... the more they 'knew' the more they realized they didn't know, and the more interested they were in finding out more.

I’m offended by cruelty, bigotry, misogyny, hypocrisy and any kind of abuse. I’m a survivor of abuse, and I don’t tolerate certain things. That’s not a matter of ‘black or white’; I understand that life is more shades of gray. I also understand what I’m not willing to put up with, regardless of its color. ?
You might be offended by me, too: I don’t feel anyone is entitled to the point that I ‘must’ respond to all messages/contact. I’m selective about that, as is my right. Being called/messaged doesn’t offend me, and my lack of response is not malicious by intent.

I honestly don't know what being 'offended' even means. Is it some kind of feeling or emotion, and are there physical symptoms, as with anger or blushing?

It seems to be a product if modern society. What happened to i might disagree with what you say,but i will defend your right to say it? The basis of free speech & informed discussion.

to answer your question I would have to standardize what "easily offended" means then interview a lot of people that are in fact easily offended to determine if they had black and white thinking. ANd what are the "wrong" things to be offended about?

I’m not

I don't think I am easily offended because i move away very quickly from anything that would cause me distress - I might be quite expert at this and there is always the stop bugging me option of blocking which I have done twice for persistent offenders who havent taken the first hint.

I probably fall into the easily offended category. The things that offend me are usually comments that indicate that the other person is operating from an outmoded model of the world (e.g., people who think in totally black-and-white terms, people who believe that only their view is valid), or someone who is using what I consider to be outmoded/inaccurate data to draw a conclusion. Basically, I hate it when people say hateful things. So my ire gets triggered and I say something. We would probably be better off if there were no social media opportunities. People would only be able to say stupid things in front of their friends and neighbors, and the rest of us would not have an opportunity to get offended by them.

I have observed that the more offended people tend to be narcissistic. They make everything about them personally. From social media to politics, our society is pushing us to become narcissists i.e. everybody thinks they have an equal voice now, that their opinion matter and they can say anything they want to say without consequences.