# Touching a nerve **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 21, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touching-a-nerve/772684 "2016-11-21T22:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 8
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touching-a-nerve/772684/8 "2016-11-21T23:17:48Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > …In short, one of the things I’ve learned from this board is that no matter how politely, civilly, benignly, and carefully you phrase something, you will _touch a nerve_ and piss off someone. There doesn’t seem to be any way to avoid it. Except that nobody was pissed off about anything. It was largely a humorous thread about the Pence theatre incident, with a few serious points and the usual level of snark and sarcasm, and people generally disagreeing with OP’s opinion that celebrities should keep their political opinions to themselves. OP acted butthurt and astonished that people didn’t agree, and drifted into an exposition of the virtues of Trump. Then the “touched a nerve” line, with a weak sarcastic suggestion that the only reason somebody disagreed with him must be because they are a personal friend of George Clooney. As **Princhester** put it in the thread: > [@Stop being the expert \[famous people and political views\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-being-the-expert-famous-people-and-political-views/772543/68): > > …Nah, nice try but nah. The “I’ve touched a nerve” gambit is IME invariably used to imply that there is some sensitivity of the _listener_ that has caused them to (over)react, but in reality \*the speaker \*has said something idiotic or obnoxious, and it is that (rather than any sensitivity of the listener) which has caused the listener to react strongly… In any event, the fact that people disagree with his opinion seems to have _touched a nerve_ with OP. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touching-a-nerve/772684)._