I have dealt with rats a good bit of my youth and I am dealing with them now. I love the biological rats, they are mini dogs. However, I can not stand human rats. These are the people who feel the need to “out” or “rat” someone out to another person (often a higher authority figure — say a supervisor or parent).
I am of the view that unless the person is openly advocating violence, the death of someone, or some other extreme display of malicious hatred, then there is no point to being a rat. Unless someone is displaying activity that makes them a danger to themselves or other, then there is no point in being a rat.
Rats destroy social circles. Rats destroy jobs. Rats destroy lives. People are bound to get offended or “hurt” by someone’s views and opinions. This is life. However, unless as stated above they are actively wanting to hurt others, themselves, or display hatred towards others based on identities they can not control (race, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, among other identities), there is no point of being a rat.
There is no point to have someone risk their job because you reported them because you’re offended that that said person is a sex worker on the side. There is no point in having someone risk their job because you reported them because you’re offended that a person chooses to be pro choice.
People have lives outside of their jobs. People should not live in fear of expressing themselves (again, holding themselves to the standards mentioned above about hatred and harm to others or themselves) because a co worker happened to find out that they posted their views in the comments section of a Facebook video. Companies should not micro-manage employees like this. It is destructive and counter productive. People should not have their livelihoods destroyed because someone got offended.
