Episode 74: Offense is taken, not given

The idiom "to take offense" reveals a fundamental truth on the
matter, namely: offense is taken, not given. Those who have had
the misfortune of having an enemy -- someone who is acting
deliberately provocative -- know that they can control their
reactions, so as not to give the provoker the satisfaction. This
indicates that we have agency in the decision to become offended
-- and also that we needn't necessarily assume responsibility
when someone else has decided to become so.