What is the best way to react, if someone calls you a degenerate?
Just leave them, remembering the insult?

This type of insult targets disabled people specifically?

I associate this with fascists and right-wingers going back a few generations as being broadly equivalent to 'woke' these days: i.e. anything vaguely progressive that they didn't like.

So, without additional context, my reaction would be to assume that the person saying this was a fascist - and therefore to treat any further interactions accordingly - and to wear the term with honour.

Yeah, that means the person is a really hostile right winger. If they're upset at you, that means you're doing good.

No, it is a general insult usually aimed at your moral character.

I commonly get called names and have disparaging comments fly my way.

At first, I let them get under my skin. I would get depressed. But I realized this is exactly what they want me to feel. They won.

Now when someone “makes a joke” I just tell myself they won’t win and realize whatever credibility or trust I had for this person is lost. They are wholly uneducated and I make the choice not to engage with them any further.

I win this round. Not them

So is it an okay insult to use depending on context?

I am not justifying the insult, just explaining how most people would use it.

Yeah, I've never heard of it being used to target people with disabilities (although looking it up, I see it can be used that way, TIL) - I've only ever thought of it as a judgement on character/behaviour. Like I'd have no issue with anyone describing Trump as a degenerate, because he's a sick, twisted, vindictive, corrupt prick.

Call them a bigot and thumb your nose while walking away backwards. But don't turn your back on them, they might be mad enough to jump you.

When I was young I was bullied every single day. For the longest time It bothered me. Then one day something changed, I stopped caring. People would throw out insults and jokes and I just dissociate myself. I’d hear it and if it was at all funny I’d laugh. After about a month I was entirely left alone. Those people were never nice to me and never showed me respect. But the fact they got 0 rise at me meant they got bored.

So I’d suggest to anyone to not take whatever personally and just shrug it off. Eventually in my experience it stops !

I will say this may not work for everyone. And for some this may just escalate to even more horrible things. But it might be worth a shot ? And obviously change course if things go south ..

meow just meow at them

Throw a dildo at them

"You wanna fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid"

"Your opinion has no value", or some variety thereof. Then get on with your day.

When I call someone a degenerate gambler I am not going after the disabled.

No decent person would use the word degenerate. Just don't interact if you can

Unless it's a consensual sex thing

Alternatively,

What did you do?

“I like eating grilled cheese and playing with monster trucks”

Tell them to dengerate these nutz

If it's not being used ironically or self deprecatingly I generally assume the person in question is a fash or some sort of right winger

"I've seen what makes you people cheer, your boos mean nothing to me."

I may not be a decent person, but I do have a discord channel called The Department of Degeneracy where we post dark, spicy, and doomer memes that would make grandma gasp and clutch her pearls.

Calling someone a degenerate is their way of saying you have low/no morals etc.  Is a lame insult used by people who think they have some high ground over you.

Like I'd imagine some fundamentalist Christian using it about skaters back in the 90s.

I'm not sure why it would be used to comment on disability.

I laugh and call them a loser

I say "thank you, I try" and blow them a flirty kiss.

My friends and I call each other degenerate when we do things that are degenerate. Like playing wow until 6am. Or buying a taco bell burrito with the intention of reheating it the next day. Or binging some garbage reality show. It's all in good fun.

I wouldn't take it personally, it's just a term that jokingly means "a person who has their shit together wouldn't be doing that", but we all have those things and they're fun to take note of and laugh about.

That's all words really.

If thrown out sincerely, or with real vitriol, avoid. It's pretty dehumanizing in such a sense.

But if it's was a friend teasing you then that's something else, just throw some insult back at them.

I know a fairly large number of amazing people who use the word degenerate somewhat frequently. That said, they are all definitely degenerates and proud of it.

"I'll remember that."

They're probably far-right, which is why you find people in Nazi bars like MeanwhileOnGrad using it frequently: (credit to @Diva@lemmy.ml )

In that sense, I'd react similarly to whenever a fascist, Zionist, etc. starts attacking me. None of their points hold any water, so just point that out.

Reclamation is totally fine of course

Ask for elaboration on the reasoning.

May find something to help your own growth, enabling turning around from contributing to degeneracy in the world.

[And/]Or may find out its grime on their lens, and more truth in their three fingers pointing back.

I know ppl that call themselves degenerates as a point of pride.

Gottem

It's not even reclamation. It's literally just using the word for its primary definition:

Morally corrupt or given to vice.

Sure but the n word also has a non offensive primary definition in some countries, now most people agree it is offensive regardless