However, if you're attempting to get a point across, you generally do better by keeping social norms in mind. Offending your audience instantly makes them think about whatever "horrible" thing you just said and not on whatever point you're trying to communicate.
Put another way, if nobody is getting your point, perhaps the problem isn't with the audience :)
(I am, however, going to steal that "offense is taken, not given" line for future (ab)use)
> However, if you're attempting to get a point across, you generally do better by keeping social norms in mind.
And if everyone followed that principle, society would never change. The perfect fourth would still sound dissonant, rape victims would be under even more pressure to keep the crime secret, etc.
