Question

At what point does an antisocial act become a crime? Should people be allowed to sue others for making unflattering, but true, statements about him or her? Why? Why not?

Answer 1

In psychology and counselling, we learn a golden rule regarding the only two conditions when the clause of anonymity and confidentiality can be broken- when the person engages in self-harm, or engages in harming others. For the most part, these acts of self-harm are limited to those involving physical self-harm, and for a relevant reason as well- physical scars are easy to see and demarcate on the basis of their severity. Anyone harmed with a knife on the hand with equal force will also bear an equal impact on their body. However, this may not be true for their minds. One may be more traumatized and develop a much more pessimistic view of life than the other. Because these intangible, psychological aspects of individuals' lives are hard to quantify, the answer to this question is also difficult to answer in absolutes.

If we take the golden rule above, an antisocial crime should become a crime when it causes harm to the person themselves or to another person. Physical harm (including harm of a sexual nature) and damage to property are already clauses under this, and progressive laws are also increasingly including emotional abuse under this. However, it is difficult to categorize what exactly qualifies as emotional abuse and what does not, because any person may take offense to a statement that would sound perfectly alright to many other people. While this one person certainly has the freedom to complain about it, we must note that by making the complaint liable to be associated with a crime committed by the other person, we are actually inviting the state or the national law into our personal vendetta, based on our individual beliefs. Another issue of concern is that under an increasingly intolerant society, even minor infractions in words may be considered offensive by a certain set of people, who may then go to extreme lengths to shame and persecute the person who said those words.

As such, we need to introspect and build our own strength, instead of constantly looking for external solutions in the law and government. The law and the government are made up of people like us, with the same prejudices, and unless we improve as humans at a more individual level, including improving notions of our own self-esteem, we will continue to find offense in everything, even if it is true, instead of letting things be, taking the positive (if any) out of the words, and celebrating freedom of speech.

One also needs to consider this question in the contemporary context of a post-truth society, increasing mental health concerns across the world, and the obsession with seeking validation from others over the social media. So, you can also consider adding these points in your answer.