People and organizations have a tendency to self-censor to varying degrees, so I'm not sure. It's also difficult to discern the line between self-censorship and just being sensitive to others' feelings; I think sometimes the two overlap, though that's not always a bad thing. The reason I am focused on self-censorship, is that I feel it's potentially more insidious and dangerous than when people attempt to censor others, the latter of which is much easier to point out and fight back against. What concerns me the most is the danger of people being blackmailed or intimidated into self-censorship.
I believe in absolute free speech, and consider myself left wing. Many of my left wing friends support levels of censorship that I am uncomfortable with, but then many right wingers have also proven themselves to be very "snowflakey" when they dislike the message or even the way something is said. So I don't see this as a cause exclusive to any one ideology or demographic. I believe it affects us all and we need to be very careful with the precedents we set, lest those made with good intentions one day might the next day be used in more insidious ways.
Sorry, I didn't really answer the question.
No need to apologize, I LOVE where you took this question! And I agree, in the sense that, in order to begin answering this question, it’s key to take it to an even baser level or, what speech do we “allow†ourselves? How much of a personal barrier is one’s own limitation to speak their own thoughts?
For me at least, a large proponent surrounding this basic idea, and on a broader perspective, is the notion of consequence as @
Lark brought up, and weighing whether that potential consequence is
worth the message being shared, to me, is where I draw my own individual line.
I will almost always take any question someone might pose as seriously as they intend without immediately shooting the thought down as “improper†or morally wrong, but as for my own free speech in what I would self-restrict or not is whether some thought is worth the potential argument or disagreement with someone that may ensue. So like, do I feel confident I myself am knowledgeable enough on a topic to take a stance, am I prepared for a potential emotional outburst, etc. For me, my self-imposed restriction to free speech is almost always weighed more by the potential efforts required following some statement, rather than restricting something based on a social moral acceptance or whathaveyou.