Nanoaggression is a term used for commonplace verbal, behavioral, or
environmental indignities that are too subtle to qualify as a microaggression. Ranging from unintentional to nonexistent, these slightest of all slights subconsciously affect and are perpetrated by all peoples in all places. Differing from microaggressions, nanoaggressions are always delivered unconsciously and might possibly shine a spotlight on implicit biases. Nanoaggressions can only be detected by a highly sensitive
third party observer due the nature of their imperceptibility.
Examples of nanoaggressions might include, but are not limited to, the following; smiling, not smiling, eye-contact, lack of eye-contact, listening, ignoring, greeting, overt shyness, contrived shyness, jogging, swimming with proper form, whistling a tune, hot sauce, a contrived preference for spicy food, Japanese curry, soups and stews, the wearing of pants, argyle, scarves, tennis shoes, tennis in general, coffee mugs, coffee in general, domestic travel,
international travel, excessive reading, singing, waving, use of chairs, artwork in general, a preference for
refined sugar, the drinking of light beers, the consumption of dairy products, the use of canvas.
I was at the
supermarket the other day and this older woman let me cut in front of her because I only had a few items and her cart was full.
What sort of products were in her cart?
I don’t
remember. Maybe food.
That sounds an awful lot like a nanoaggression.
I think you might be right maybe.
