Keitei wrote:
Let's say Person A often says certain sorts of things, which, to Person B, sound like personal attacks. Person B is offended and infuriated and begins a vendetta against Person A. Person A says, I'm sorry you took it that way; I didn't mean it like that. Person B has two choices: go around the wiki proclaiming that Person A is uncivil, never assumes good faith, and is racist; or forgive, forget, move on.
(This happens a lot.)
It does happen a lot.
The problem with this example is in taking the position that B's being offended implies that A was offending. A's explanation that offence was not intended should usually be sufficient. In the absence of other history between these two, B, in refusing the explanation and increasing the stakes, is also becoming the offending as well as the offended party.
Ec