tawnks:

The one thing that has stuck with me every day since my English teacher told me it in middle school is:

“When referring to someone, always say who they are before anything else about them, because being a person always comes first.”

Instead of saying “the mentally ill man,” say “the man with a mental illness.”

Putting someone’s characteristics (especially negative ones) before them is dehumanizing and rude. Don’t do it.